


the mistakes that led us to know each other and know who we really are

by Kamikaze_187



Series: "Soul mate's, modern AU" [1]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: "Original names for the characters", AU, Alternate Universe, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Male Pyro, Multi, OOC, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Strangers to Friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24225241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamikaze_187/pseuds/Kamikaze_187
Summary: Dell Conagher, after suffering a great loss, returns to the city where he grew up and lived a small percentage of his childhood, he only craves for a peaceful and simple life in his kind house.Too bad a strike of luck would lead him to meet a person, he doesn't know, will change the rest of his life going forward. In the good and in the bad
Relationships: Demoman/OC, Engineer/Soldier (Team Fortress 2), Heavy/Medic (Team Fortress 2)
Series: "Soul mate's, modern AU" [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748536
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	1. Background

**Author's Note:**

> This part will explain everything you need to know for all the coming chapters in the future.

Plot: dell conagher moves back to the city where he lived a small degree of his youth, and for reasons of the life he had to leave. He only seeks a quiet and peaceful life, without many problems and complexities, so he decides to open a small workshop-shop very simple and without anything in particular, a simple workshop in the middle of the city in which you could buy what is necessary, send your damaged devices to fix it, or to be able to buy else parts of machines or simply tools.

Dell has a lot of appreciation and love for his little workshop-shop.

In the course of time He is reunited with some old friends he had made a long time ago and knows some new ones of which they are kind to him in their different ways that show it, each one has his characteristic touch.

There will also be someone who will open the doors to a world which he did not believe he would experience once again and give to him some new experience for his life. 

Background of the history:

The atmosphere of the story will be in a modern era. like the actuality or something out there, (free form for that), in that aspect... (i spelled that's right?)

*****

Characteristics of the characters:

Dell conagher= friendly, kind and intelligent in addition to being very good with his friends and acquaintances although occasionally he screwes up, a little or so much, maybe something short and a little chubby. He likes to always wear his favorite blue jacket, his favorite color is yellow but he also appreciates blue, wears glasses when is necessary, and has short, soft light brown hair. He has a young sister named sophie. Dell and sophie have that typically relationship between brothers, sometimes they hate each other, sometimes they love each other. He lived for a long time with his grandfather in Texas along with his sister Sophie.  
He moved again and now lives in an apartment with his roommate "Red". the fumes go out when someone makes a joke about his height or physical, he does not take them very well, simple and clean.  
He likes to read the odd book that entertains him enough when he is very bored, he has no hobbies, he likes to work in a place where he repair some electronic devices that are not very complicated for him. He just loves his job, he just does not want to complicate his life much in that way.

  
Jake doe = strong, athletic, with little patience and very interested in doing much exercises and sports, maybe a little slow and clumsy but manages to easily and very well to keep moving. His favorite color is red which shows it very well with his selection of clothes.  
He likes to wear sportswear wherever he goes or whatever was the occasion along with a red jacket that is very fond of him, he also wears a black and white cap which sometimes forgets it at home showing his dark brown military haircut, Trent is his best friend and is his best companion when it comes to holding out events, among other things, he likes animals. He used to have a roommate in the apartment where he lives, but he moved in a hurry complaining that Jake was very annoying, loud, messy, and kept snooping around in his things. Jake works in a youth institute where he teaches people of all ages all kinds of sports. At your disposal, When it comes to work it becomes very strict with the kids and shows no compassion to anyone. He goes to the gym very often, Trent calls him crazy to the gym for going to do nothing but training his body all the time without rest. For personal problems, Jake does not believe in the 'love' or relatives of the word, but that. someone will change it very soon without him realizing it.  


Trent degroot = very kind to everyone (except those who are racist with him in any way possible) owns his own bar which nobody can compete with because is very popular in the city. most people know Trent for the good actions he does every time he can and in addition to establishing friendly conversations with his clients to maintain everyone in a very good mood.  
If he were to drink a bottle of liquor, or any kind of beer, he would start drinking until he passed out, he likes to drink a lot, but now and then he tries to avoid that whenever he can at work time. He would like to grow his beard more than it already is, but his wife always reminds him that this is a bad idea because he would look bad on him and that what he already has is more than enough. He is married to a woman named Samantha and with her he has one daughter. His daughter likes to sing and dance a lot. He became a friend and companion of a guy he met, which he called him "Red" he wears clothes of all different colors every day because why not, right?.

_______, also is recognized by the nickname "Red" = shy, friendly, a bit childish and sometimes cause some fear in the people. He is very kind with his roommate, very too much, but that is because he like to have many friends and would not like to lose what he has for any reason so that's he try to be the best friend someone will meet. Red used to live in a very poor and depressing home when he was small. Red suffered a serious accident that luckily did not end with his life, but instead left a horrendous wound in the form of a scar in the middle of his throat that causes him difficulties when he try to speak with someone, and the same accident left him without a home forcing him to live on the streets. Trent finds him and since then he become his friend, the first of many. Trent also showed him a way for him to communicate, using sign language. He likes to paint a lot and when it is a lot, it means too much. thanks to Trent he works painting whatever is needed a cape of paint and he is hired for that, Trent helped him get the paint so he can get money with his work in which he shows a lot of passion. Red is not his real name, his name is very difficult to pronounce (even for him) trent calls him "Red" because of its characteristics. also that he liked to use fire a lot for useful and not very useful things to say. He wears a orange jacket that he only use it when he go outside, the jacket has a chubby little unicorn on his back and a pair of flames on the front, with a hood that always wear to hide his face, he doesn't like sunlight. the fire of the accident made almost all his hair disappear making this does not grow again leaving it almost completely bald. He also always wears a red scarf to which he has a lot of appreciation and affection. his head goes out and go crazy if he loses it even for a minute, he also uses it to cover the scar on his neck, but that's not important. Trent always suggests him "you also can wear gloves to cover the burns on your hands, they look like they never will heal again and also they look really bad." Red refuses to do so. He doesn't mind that.  
(Note: Red is a man...but don't worry, Trent also got confused at the beginning because of that).  


Nikolai = huge, strong and always there and able to help his knowones and friends. (that includes Joseph) he does not speak much, but with joseph he is very talkative, he has a small beard that he let grow and he cares very carefully, apart He has short dark reddish hair on his head but he doesn't care in the least to fix it (something Joseph complains about almost every day). He is from Russia but he came to this city to get a job and earn some money for his family who lives in Russia. When he arrived in the city, he met joseph, who is a doctor at a hospital where he works and also got him a job as an assistant in that place. He always helps as he can or in what he needs. moving packages of supplies, laboratory machines, nursing devices and utensils and occasionally drives an ambulance to bring the injured peoples when there is no staff. He loves children and he take care of them at the hospital, he also tells some amazings history's to the kids about how the things are there in rusia or what kind of animals he take down with his own fists, or some book's the hospital have so the kids can go to sleep, they love Nikolai so much for that. although adults at first sight are afraid of him because of his size what caused some terror. Joseph taught Nikolai the language because when he arrived, at first he only spoke Russian and no one could understand him much, except joseph of course. Joseph nicknamed him "Niko" in love and Nikolai liked it. Over time the relationship between the two was growing suddenly starting as coworkers and colleagues who share the same roof, now a somewhat discreet couple, nobody knows about their relationship (only Trent knows. But he respects the privacy of the others). Niko does not refer to joseph by his name, he call him "doctor" because for the pronouncement of his name "joseph" it is very difficult for him and his tongue is always locked in doing so and sounds really bad, no matter how many times the doctor taught him patiently for several hours syllable for syllable.

joseph = tall, confident, and very committed to his work, he likes to keep his privacy, professionally and personally. Joseph is a respected doctor of the big hospital in the city, although he is very kind on the outside, inside not everything in peace and tranquility, the only thing that keeps him sane and in a good mood, is his good friend Niko and his constant company, including the satisfaction of seeing the smile their patients have when a successful operation is complete. Joseph does not like to talk about his past, every time Niko asks him what the doctor's life was before he was in the hospital, he only answers with a lie or changes the subject as subtly as he can and without generating more Questions at respect, he hate to lie to people and in greater volume if it is Niko. He also likes to have a pet white dove in home.

Jessie = His parents named him Jessie because when he was born the doctors confused him with a girl, but then they saw that it wasn't. Jessie was the youngest of 4 brothers, he received many abuses from his name that looked like a woman's one, so he changed his name unofficially to "Jeremy". But still everyone remembered his first name and so stayed. he leave secondary school to devote himself to sports since it was his dream to become a super star of any sport he has at his disposal. He lives with his mother named Elizabeth who is a psychology teacher and also is a very good therapist who attends to people of all ages to listen to their problems and help them.

Mike = Mike is a foreigner who shows himself to be passive aggressive. He runs the city's zoo, although he is also a tourist guide. In his zoo habit all kinds of animals to which he himself raised, educated or simply captured. He always carries a camouflaged vest with his reliable safari hat that he never takes off even if he wanted to. He hates children, for the simple fact that they annoy the animals of the zoo, always throw garbage in a massive way or make graffiti on most of their walls, and the majority offensives. If he could and it was not illegal, he would hunt down these vermin like a couple of rats and offer them to feed the animals. He is indebted to Trent because thanks to him and his little colleague, he was able to get help and paint, that includes someone who likes to repaint his walls several times and very often for a small fee.

There will also be other characters that do not have much role in the story but do have some important connection with the main characters. which I don't want to describe here or I will simply do it in the middle of the story, whichever comes first.

*****

And finally I must clarify that I am very lazy "sometimes" with this. If i not public is for that same reason.

(Man... I wish I could draw so I can show to all how they look really... big sigh)

Chao.


	2. A somewhat pleasant begin.

Dell conagher.

That was the name given by the parents to their beloved newborn blessing.

Papa was an engineer capable of solving any practical problem and was well known and respected throughout the city, when there is a problem that needed fixing, people always go to him so he can solve it. There was no problem that he could not solve, that was clearly demonstrated by his incredible abilities.

Mama was a very sweet and loving woman, she loved her husband and son as if it were the only thing that mattered to her in this world. She also works weaving the most beautiful clothes that someone ever seen in her life. not to mention his passion for plants. In her back garden she built, with the help of her husband, a garden where she could plant and care for unique and very beautiful plants. She simply loved plants so much that she even respected the lives of those who lived in them or came to visit, such as some bees who collected honey for their hives and houses and including some insects, as long as these insects do not eat their plants. Or they put parasites on her plants, in which case she will use the insecticide without mercy.

Once. Her husband "accidentally" stepped on one of his favorite plants, she became so angry to him that she forced him to clean the entire house for two weeks without exception. And if he didn't or made a complaint about it, he will get absolutely nothing to eat for dinner.

Dell was raised with all the love and care his parents could provide and give to his son. He studied at home at a very young age, his own father was in charge of all his education while he worked in his work, he had learned many things from his father, which most caught his attention, among others that he found very boring or complicated to understand at his age.

In the two years that he was at home studying thanks to his father, he managed to learn many important things, according to his father he was at a very advanced level in education. Occasionally dell would help his father with his work whatever he can when he was on in his garage, as long as the situation or the thing to be repaired wasn't too tiring or complicated, Still, he was excited to be able to help him in any way.

His mother said it would be a good idea and good for him if he go to a school like other children of his own age. So that he could meet people, learn things that his father could not teach him and make some friends, he was a little lonely and isolated boy from her point of view.

School sounded good to him, although his father hates to admit it, he thinks his wife is right about that, socializing a little would not hurt. Even if that means he will no longer be able to have his little one in the house with him now and then.

The teachers of the school to which he was sent were fascinated by his wisdom and achievements and thanks to them he managed to skip some years. His parents were also amazed by the feats that his son accomplished, who was a prodigy.

that was at home, at school, on the other hand, the guys more older than him who look him like a target of mockery, every day they always came to annoy the short nerd dressed in a blue shirt and who wore glasses, although he did not receive physical abuse, They managed to reach him in other ways, such as making fun of his height, calling him "eat books", taking his things without even asking them first, or threatening to be beaten if he did not pass the test answers. among other ridicules of the same application. Although the days at school were tough, he could endure abuse, this is nothing to knock him down and make him give up on his studies.

When he entered high school he met joseph, a young man with short black hair, with a kind attitude, but he is very strict when it comes to the state and order of the maintenance of his items and pets that he has to maintain with himself such as by For example, his friend's feather duster who was a white dove that he always carries on his shoulder and accompanies him wherever he goes, people called him crazy about pigeons because once when he was sitting by the pond reading a book he was surrounded by a group of pigeons that caressed him as if there was no problem whatsoever.

If it hadn't been for how good Joseph was in the classes and for how much he helped dell to adapt in the place, dell would have thought the same as the popular opinion and would also be afraid or give him strange names.

One afternoon like any other, dell was leaving school to go back to his house like every afternoon, but just then he was attacked by two men who beat him and also called him by several offensive nicknames about his intelligence or physical condition.

The situation would have ended very badly if it wouldn't for that guy who came out of nowhere to help him. A person he did not know took care of the two linnets, sending them staggering in pain to their homes crying like two little girls.

"Are you okay?"

The guy in front of him extends his hand to help him to stand up and holds his backpack with the other. The man who helped him was very tall and wearing a purple hand-knit sweater, and his skin tone is dark brown. It is not that he will judge people for his skin color, it is just that he has not seen many people of that type in his so often.

Dell thanked the man for his help. He grabs his backpack and slips it into place behind his back again, then thanks him again and heads home.

As he walked in the direction to his home, he hadn't noticed that the guy who had helped him before was following him from behind. When his house was in sight, dell turned around, noticing that guy was a few steps behind him. The guy, turn around watching sideway to him, dell was look at him like asking the guy an indirect question, the guy said nothing about it for a long minute. He only clarified himself saying that his house was in the same direction and that he was not following him at all.

"My name is trent by the way," the guy says when he passes Dell and continues on his way.

...Dell internally thought that what just happened was very strange.

The following days, dell began to see trent more often. He was in the same class as him, now he had noticed his presence, trent always sat next to him, a bench away in the middle of the class.

Joseph was also there, but unlike Trent, he did talk to him and also he didn't start talking and flirting with all the girls in the class instead of paying attention.

Trent always tried to carry on a conversation with him, although most of the time he always sounded forced, even so he managed to alleviate the uncomfortable environment in which he entered. The two of them had nothing in common, but still rarely got along.

One day, Trent invited him out of the blue asking him if he would like to go somewhere this weekend. Dell accepted since he had nothing better to do that same day, and it would not hurt to take a break from so much study, so without further ado he accepted the invitation.

But before that, trent took dell to meet his best friend.

Trent knocks on the wooden door several times with his fist, something strong, as if he doesn't mind disturbing those inside.

The door is flung open to reveal a young guy the same height as Trent, probably the same age as him, the young guy was wearing shorts and a white tank top that was very tight to his body, showing off his well-toned arms. The guy who was standing in the door frame does not seem to have noticed that he was there too since he had not noticed him or even turned to look at him.

Trent was about to introduce him to dell but the guy cut him off before he could say his name. "Now I'm not in the mood to go out trent. Maybe another day." With that said the guy closed the door.

Trent lets out an indifferent breath and concentrates on what he was originally going to do along with dell, but when he realized it, dell wasn't following him, he was standing outside the door, motionless.

"Hey, is something wrong?." Trent shakes him by the shoulder so that he reacts, dell shakes his head and nods to him and start follow him.

In the end, it was just an outing of friends to eat something in the first fast food place they found where the two friends got to know each other better, not to mention that they had only met a couple of days ago. 

dell can't get the guy Trent was about to introduce him out of his mind and sadly he didn't get a chance to know or at least know his name. to know what kind of person is and to know if they could also be friends, he looks like a nice person and someone interesting.

Dell asked to trent if they could visit him at any other time for some reason, but trent hints that doing that is a bad idea at the moment, Trent tells him that his friend was having a hard time these days, and that is why he wouldn't be able to see him for now, dell feels very sorry for the guy.

He forgot to ask her name again.

After a week, on a Saturday afternoon he became very curious and went to see trent so that they could go see this person that he had been very curious to meet, he had never seen that guy in the school so the only way to get to know him was through the help of trent.

So it was until halfway he received a call from his sister saying with great urgency that he must return to the house immediately, that she is very scared and something very bad happened.

Without thinking twice he turned around and started to run back to his house, judging by the brittle tone of voice his sister has in the call, he could deduce that she was speaking very seriously, if she were crying and As if she was terrified and she wasn't kidding, something really serious must have happened for this to happen.

He saw from a distance how in front of the house where two cars from the police parked, He did not pay attention to them.

Dell knocks open the front door and before he could react or say a word, his sister ran from where she was sitting and wrapped him in a shaky hug while crying uncontrollably. He asks the policemen who are standing in the middle of the room what is going on. one of them slowly approaches him as he takes off his hat.

"Young man, I'm sorry." He begins and his tone of voice is soft and very sad, the man take a sigh and he continues.

"But what happens is... that your parents just... just died in a car accident... they are... they are ded."

...Dell is shocked and very shocked by the news he just received from the police in front of him, his sister embraces him tighter for his beloved life while he continued to cry uncontrollably for the loss of his two beloved parents... Dell felt as if a huge dark emptiness was taking over his entire body, his body acted of its own accord hugging his sister tightly.

He does not cry, not when he received the news, nor when his parents are buried together in the city cemetery. He cannot cry, he says to himself, no matter how painful the loss is, he is not going to allow himself to cry. His sister was at his side holding his hand, while wiping away her tears with his hand, he envied her for that.

Grandpa Radigan was with them the entire time during the funeral, he had to take a flight from Texas to attend his son's funeral and to be with his grandchildren and make sure they are both fine to provide them with some support. sentimental.

During all that day It was raining lightly. Mom always used to say that every time it was raining it was a sign that those who were now in heaven felt sorry and sore that their tears fell in the form of raindrops to the earth... what ironic.

Dell and his little sister sophie are alone in the city now, and in that house filled with so many happy memories that it is now very painful to think and remember them for a single second.

Grandpa Radigan stayed with them for a few days, giving them the greatest company that he could provide to both of them, but it did not work very well, he also felt very sad every time he saw that familiar picture in the room where his son appeared with his beloved. daughter-in-law with her two beautiful children, it would be hard to them now that they are gone forever.

It was then that one brilliant idea occurred to him, to take them to live in his home back there in Texas. At first the two refused with that sudden offer from their grandpa, but the grandpa managed to convince them. first to sophie saying that she will be able to see many farm animals which she will be able to play and she will also be able to feed and take care of them.

Dell on the other hand did not want to go, he had never seen his grandpa in person before, he had only heard stories from his father and at first that he did not know him very well, let's say the less. radigan understands his grandson very well, and even he dares to make a joke about strangers and how they shouldn't know them, and with the same joke he manages to get a little smile out of him.

The trip on the plane to Texas was very boring and exhausting for the children. and that was not the worst part, because it turns out that the farm where the grandpa lived was very very far from the airport and according to him it would take about 4 hours of travel in his truck to get to his humble house in the small town where they will live now.

During the trip, grandpa kept the atmosphere very happy with small trip songs, farm ones, among other similar songs that he sang together with the little sophie who accompanied him applauding to the rhythm of the music that came out of the old stereo. They both tried to get Dell to join in the fun and not to be a boring boy while he was in the back of the truck, staring out of the window without saying a word all this time. He just wasn't in the mood to sing.

Grandpa out of nowhere started making weird faces trying to get a small smile out of that long face of him, it didn't work, so he started telling some jokes about animals, that does work by making sophie and dell laugh too but only for a second.

When they arrive to the house it was getting dark. The two fell asleep in the middle of the road from the exhausting journey. Radigan takes them both to the guest bedroom that will be their bedroom now, one by one, to the king-size bed so that the two can rest in a more comfortable place.

Radigan is very happy that he can finally see his beloved grandchildren. He had only heard of them through phone calls, and had seen them through photos that came through messages or letters. It had been a long time since he had someone living with him since his wife Maria died, but even so he is going to do his best to take care of his little ones.

....................................

Several years have passed since they moved in with their grandfather.

Sophie grew up to be a very beautiful woman in every possible way, with long flowing hair that she always likes to dazzle at sight and drove men's crazy, same man's who ran off with a bullet in the butt when the Grandpa caught them flirting with his beloved granddaughter. She attracted a deep affection towards the farm animals that her grandfather was raising on the farm, so much was that what every time the grandfather wanted to murder an animal to eat it, she stood in front and tried to avoid it at all costs by offering a dish that do not bring as much meat but more vegetables.

Besides that she likes plants very much, they remind her of her mother very much. She had created a small garden in the back of the house and had some plants and flowers that she liked to care very lovingly. she is more younger than dell by 6 years of age but somehow she had grown more than dell himself. She always took the opportunity to mock her older brother's stature a little because he was small despite his mature age, this kind of teasing always bothered the poor dell a lot, and worst of all, his grandpa joined The teasing, saying that his sister was right in what she said, that he is quite an adorable shortly.

...when they call him short is one thing, but being called "adorable" or "cute" is something else entirely, and that really bothers him a lot.

Dell grew in brain but not in stature. Thanks to the many books that grandfather kept in the small library that belonged to grandmother Conagher, he was able to learn a lot, so much of things, and grandfather also teaches him about the machines and devices that his neighbors send him in his small workshop to fix. Dell also helped him with the repairs whenever possible and could also understand more what he was doing on them.

During dinner time, the grandfather sometimes (almost always) said that he would like to see his beloved grandchildren, that he has been raising them as his own children all this time, now that they are old enough to have their own children and how he would be very happy to meet them before he leaves to the other world and also he expects a lot coming from them.

Hearing that, dell chokes with the food on his throat and almost fall from the table. Sophie and the Grandpa laugh wildly at dell's reaction to the "joke", but still, Grandpa was serious about it. dell joins the joke after catching his breath, but inside he fears about what his old man will think of him if he tell him about his current situation and his preferences which he had accepted them long ago and which at first caused him many doubts about his identity.

He would have liked to talk about it with his parents or at least with his mother, since it seemed that his mother was more confident about discussing this topic than his father who was kind reserved.

On dell's birthday, Grandpa Radigan was preparing a big surprise for his beloved grandson. Radigan came up with the fantastic idea of taking dell to the same cabaret that the town has for him to enjoy some fun and for his grandson to experience that kind of benefit (wink wink).

He used to go to that same place very often with his own son before he moved to another place a long time ago. It is also one of his favorite places since it was there that he met his good maria who passed out and also who was the owner of the place.

Dell refused, he says that that kind of places is not his thing. But Grandpa Radigan did not take one no for an answer, and no matter how much he would refuse, they went to that place anyway.

Radigan was having a great time in that place, drinking and laughing while all the women around him told him compliments and were flirting with him (he usually comes very often). On the other hand, for dell... things are not going very well. He sees all those women in suggestive and intriguing outfits that seem very attractive to him, but... he does not like to be approached too closely or even receive some feminine contact on his skin, he feels uncomfortable in this place that even gives him a sick shame to raise his own head off the ground.

He wants to tell his grandpa what is happening to him, but he did not have the opportunity or the courage to do it during the whole evening in that place, and dell is very sure that if he does it, if he tells him what's going on, it is very probably that he will hate him for that. Since people like him are not seen by these planes and everyone hate them.

At the time of leaving comes. Dell has to drive the truck because Grandpa is not look in the conditions to drive right now.

On the way back, Radigan couldn't help but inquire about his grandson's behavior tonight. As he lights a cigarette that he take of the compartment of the vehicle, he begins to speak and to investigate.

"What's wrong with you boy? My own son and blood would have laid his hands on all those womens like a bunch of hungry homeless people towards a piece of bread." by his tone of voice it would be said that he is not annoyed but rather almost disappointed.

"That's not my kind of place, grandpa. I... don't like that... kind of fun." Dell responds with a small degree of humor in his voice.

"What are you saying? After all those women came up to you and wanted to have something with you? You won't be trying to tell me that you're gay or something, right?" Radigan laughs at his own words.

"...maybe." dell answers silently. Grandpa Radigan laughs a little more taking what his grandson said as a joke, a very good one in his opinion, but seeing that Dell is not laughing with him, and the way he hides his head looking down It seems that he is not joking, at all. Radigan notices this and remains silent, staring at his grandson.

"...wait ...dell. Don't tell me that you ...are-"

"...Yeah..." Dell interrupts him and doesn't let him finish his question which was more than predictable.

"...oh..."

The rest of the way no one made a single noise or exchanged words, the silence was very thick and uncomfortable, such that you could only hear the engine of the truck along with the sounds radigan made while he continues smoking his cigar.

Dell parks the vehicle in front of the house and takes a light breath.

"You are the only one who knows about this." He makes a pause a little "or... at least the only one to whom I could tell in time before they are no longer here..." looking out the window of the vehicle, he continued very sadly "I... understand if you start to see me differently now... or even hate me... I'm not going to say anything about it. After all... anyone would be really disappointed of the person which you had so much faith and hopes and suddenly you get to knew that in the end they are not what you expected it them to be."  
With that said, he got out of the car and sadly walked to the house without looking back. 

He was about to open the front door but a hand caught him by his shoulder holding in place. "Boy... let me tell you two things. First, when someone need some time to think you should let him think and not take it as an offense, and second... you should never leave a person alone when they only just opened their hearts in front of you and throw it in that way right to you without the slightest fear in their blood. That is not the way I have educated you, you know."

Dell is shocked and scared at the same time by the contact and for those words coming from his grandpa. But for a reason the touch he receives on his shoulder does not hurt in the least, it is a very soft touch and he can feel that he does not have any bad intention because of the tone in which his voice had sounded. The Grandpa slowly turns him around, but he is not able to see him to the face.

Radigan places his hands on his grandson's shoulders.  
"Son... I'm going to be very honest with you and I want you to listen to me carefully, okay?" Dell, fearfully inside, nods slowly without looking up from the floor.

With a big sigh. He begins "...honestly, son. I did not expect that coming from you. I have a very negative view thanks to the past about people with that... kind of own tastes... and I feared and wanted so much that none of my children and descendants will not become such people, mostly for fear of their own safety, because I understood that such people only attract a bad name along with many problems you cannot even imagine for themselves and those who are around them, that includes their families and friends." dell feels a very sick knot inside him from the very cold words he was hearing. But Radigan wasn't finished yet. After letting out another sigh he continues "your father and mother always told me that they were very happy and proud of you and your sister, they always told me how they were both very happy that they had you and that they also both wanted you to be very happy in your future... I also love you two very much and I wanted the same. No matter what they want or decide to do with your life."

Dell slowly lifts his gaze from the ground, his grandpa is smiling and no shows any sign of being angry or upset with him or even disappointed.

"Even if you are my grandson, I love you as much as my own son and I don't care if you are a woman or a man or if you are attracted to other mens, I will continue to love you no matter what happens or you decide to do. You do not have to feel sorry, fear or disgust for being what you are. The only thing that matters and what I want for you, is that you seek your own happiness, doing whatever you like and regardless of who you decide to be with in this world and also not harm other people in the process." Dell feels a huge heavy weight lift off his back. He feels so relieved when he realized that his grandfather understood his situation and did not hate him as he had anticipated with so much fear, now he realizes that he was wrong all this time and was too stupid to hide it from him.

"Just make sure that the person you decide to be with, if you decide to be with someone of course, doesn't stay with you only because of what you have in your hands but rather because of what you have right here." Radigan points to his chest where his heart is "You are a conagher, son. And a conagher must have a good heart and be smart enough not to be taken advantage or hurt or harm those around you. You will promise that you will not allow Nobody is going to bother you and take advantage of you? Because if you allow that, I will be very disappointed to have raised you on my ranch, son." Dell giggles and nods promising that.

"Come... why don't you give your old man a hug." the grandfather opened his arms like a door to receive dell, who after a few seconds of hesitation decided to hug his beloved grandfather.

"And if you have trouble burying a corpse, don't hesitate to ask me for some help."

"When you two finish hugging and kissing, you can come inside before dinner gets cold." The sweet moment between grandson and grandfather was cruelly interrupted by sophie who slammed the door open and didn't even bother to hide the fact that she was spying and hearing what they were talking all this time.

Radigan was about to say something to defend his situation but was cut off by sophie's loud laughter. Radigan started laughing too, Dell had no other and started laughing too.

While the three of them were laughing outside the house. Radigan, with a tug on Sophie's right arm, pulled her in so hhe could hug both of them at the same time.

He was very happy to have his sweet grandchildren and he is going to love them equally no matter what, regardless of the situation they are in, not a little more, not a little less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The synergy about dell's parents dead was a bit painfully to write and the including of grandpa radigan too, but i think it was necessary.
> 
> Also, the "fact" that the rain is the representation of the tears of those who are in the afterlife I found it very sweet and sad at the same time.


	3. a huge loss and an important message

Days, weeks, months, and some years passed, the small family of three members joined more and more.

Dell had learned a lot from his grandfather and is also very grateful to him for accepting for what he is and his way of being along with his preferences.

Sophie get along with him and Grandpa too and the two of them also get along very well with her, even if they don't have much in common. not counting the time when sophie began to develop her body and things happened that she could not understand at her age, Radigan less knew about it because he did not know what happened at the beginning or how to treat her because he was not a woman or expert in the development of women's bodies, hell, that was the only thing with what he had failed to her, but that was solved in due time by a good neighbor who was friends with sophie and Radigan.

Although sophie did not miss the opportunity to make a "joke" about how excited she is to have a "little sister" with her now. It's a shame that dell is good enough with her to even think in hurt his own sister after receiving so much teasing, but that does not prevent that he cannot throw an article at her, it a shame that he does not have good aim with his right arm.

but at least he was able to hit his old ma, who is giggling at the sister joke, with what he threw at him.

Even so, the two were able to get along very well, they could experience a good close family relationship again with the grandfather, something that they would have liked to experience with their parents as well. Too bad they had no opportunity to do so.

The small family of three members spent a lot of time together, playing various games to spend their boring moments where there was nothing interesting to do outside or inside the house or when the electricity goes out among other educational activities they did at home.

That's how the days were always, really happy between the three of them living in that humble little house in texas. It was like that for a long time and before he knew it, his beloved grandchildren had grown quite old enough, and in case he said in stature he would surely receive an object some direct through his head if he even mentioned it.

After a few months.

Grandpa Radigan is not feeling very well lately, he is weak and he does not have the same strength and enthusiasm that he had before. dell and sophie are very concerned about him, and no matter how many times Radigan says he is fine they are still concerned and worried about him.

The week after these events began to occur, the grandpa collapsed when the three of them were enjoying a quiet picnic, falling unconscious on the ground. They were quick to react and call to the hospital so they could take him to the hospital in an ambulance quickly.

The Grandpa Radigan has to stay in bed due to his actual condition, according to the doctors there is nothing wrong with his system, no illness, no difficulties, he was a very healthy man... but his body is failing to him and he is getting weak little by little because of his age, he had lived as long and longer than previously they anticipated or what average humans would live.

Grandpa knows that he doesn't have much time left now, his final hours are reaching... he kindly asks the doctors to leave him alone with his beloved children, who would like to speak to them in private.

Sophie goes first. she, with both hands, holds her grandfather's wrinkled and weak hand with all her strength while trying to contain the tears that make it difficult to see him in the eyes. Using his other hand, Grandpa wipes her tears away. He expresses in a very soft way what he feels for her and how happy she has made him all this time that she was living with him at home and for all her sweet company. He tells her that he loves her so much and also advises her to be an intelligent, strong, kind woman and never stop working on her dreams. Sophie promises she will not disappoint him for anything in the world. She tells him with great difficulty that she is also very happy to have met him and live with him, and that she is very grateful to him for everything he taught her and for all his kindness, she also tell him how much she loves him...

...now it's dell's turn to approach.

Sophie walks away from the hospital stretcher where her grandfather is and sits in a chair not far from there, she can feel as if her legs are about to collapse.

"Come closer son." Dell approaches and sits in the chair next to the bed. He keeps his eyes tightly shut to avoid crying, no matter how much it hurts to see the person who was next to you, always supporting you in everything you do. That the person who knew how to understand you, help you, and also love you so much despite the acceptance problems that there were at the beginning.

But now he is not able to face him or even be able to open his eyes to look at him. and in that state in which he is now, lying down, breathing so slow and weakly and without strength. It is so difficult and hard at the same time that it makes his heart ache like never before. If he were to see him, even for a second, he will not be able to avoid having an emotional collapse at that same moment and then he will not be able to stop even if he tries.

"Boy..." Radigan whispers weakly. Dell does not move and continues to avoid eye contact by clenching his knuckles tightly.

"Please... son... I want to see your sweet little face one more time... one last time." Grandpa giggles at the end of that sentence.

"Don't say that. This is not a good time to joke. You know?"

"I'm not kidding. It's not a joke that you are such an adorable fella. It's the truth."

Radigan touches dell's cheek with his hand and caresses it in that same spot. Dell turns slowly and at the same time opens his eyes.

Radigan looks so tired, with those dark violet sacks under his eyes and pale face, but even so he is smiling with that same radiant smile of every day that brought happiness to his mornings, he was smiling as if nothing bad was happening to him... as if it were the most normal thing in the world, it hurts and delights him at the same time.

He hates this mega whirlwind of emotions he feels inside and wants it to stop. He shakes his head to prevent tears from coming out like someone weak.

"Son. It's okay to cry sometimes, no matter what the reason is. Even the toughest men cry and they are no less to what they are just because of that." Dell can feels like he has a thick knot in his throat which causes him a lot of difficulty when he tries to swallow. After letting out what could be interpreted as a small cry or a very restrained sob that he did not know was containing all this time. he opens his eyes again so he can see his grandfather again.

"Son. I want you to hear what I have to tell you, alright?." dell nods slowly.

"First... I want you to know that I will always be proud of you, no matter what you decide to do with your life or with who you decide to have with you. The only thing you should know is the fact no matter what happens in your way you should try to be happy with whoever you decide to be with. Just as I was all this time that the three of us spent together in our house, you two were great companies for this poor old man and I would not change those good times that we spent together for nothing in this world, I was very lucky to have you two by my side."

Dell bites his lower lip so hard than give him slightly taste of blood. Radigan places his weak hand on his shoulder.

"My Boy... you were always my adorable little boy and I would have liked to be able to see great coming things from you, and what your future holds... I am going to tell you something very important and I want you to listen carefully. You must not allow that those negative thoughts about yourself and your way of thinking come to bother you and it is very possible that some people will judge you just for that, but if they are going to judge you then they will judge you by your actions and not by your preferences, also let them know that they shouldn't mess with you, I know that you are someone mentally strong and sometimes words can hit even harder than fists. Besides, I have in mind that it's not a very good idea to fuck with you."

"Grandpa..." That last sentence managed to get a small smile out of him.

"Wherever you go. Whatever you do. Be with whoever you are. I know you will always do the right thing. my son There are a lot of bad and good people out there, but there will always be people that you can keep close to you, you get to know them and they can know you for what you are dell, you must promise me to those people that you know and come to care for them and you treat as a family and stick together, that they care for each other and the fact that you are not going to hurt anyone in any way possible and who knows, maybe you can find someone very special for you. Someone you can love and care with all your heart and this person will always support you in everything you do and make, he will always be by your side and love everything about you and he will never leave you alone no matter what happens. You are going to find that person dell, I know." Radigan smiles kindly to him.

Dell nods with a small smile on his face as well.

"Dell... son... my son... your smile and sophie's too always brings the sun to my gray and cloudy days... every time I see you two smile in that way it always made me so happy, that simple gesture brought life to my poor old tired heart... and makes all my efforts to raise you two worthwhile... I do not regret having take you to my humble home... I love you both of you so much... Take care of yourselves... you... don't stop being what you are..." a tiny tear falls down from the side of his cheek as he slowly closes his eyelids.

"Grandpa?... Grandpa!? Radigan!, come on... this is no the time to joke."

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Three years have passed since the death of their beloved grandfather.

The humble little house no longer felt like it was the same with the lack of a member who always spoke a lot but also managed to raise the spirits of the many forms possible that crossed his mind.

Dell had inherited most of the land from the house along with the house itself.

Sophie also had her share of the inheritance but hers were kept secret along with her grandfather before he passed away.

Dell had also inherited his grandfather's old red truck, and he learned that from a note that was hidden inside the same truck that came from the same old man's hand. The letter was there as a plan for a well-prepared gift from Radigan that seemed to have planned to give it to him on his birthday, which unfortunately was the same day the Grandfather was buried next to Grandma's grave. his grave was placed next to grandmother's. Now they must be together again.

Sophie so far seems to have handled the loss very well since she went on with her life as if nothing with the excuse that this is how he had wanted it.

but what about dell?. he had lost the only person who knew how to understand him and support him very well and perfectly. That was a blow that left a very deep wound that was very difficult to heal. It took a long time, more than necessary to overcome it.

to this day he still misses him. He misses his bad jokes, his meals that sometimes burned if he or Sophie wasn't with him to help him out with the food, he misses the kind way he used to educate them both on some farm topics and thanks to him He learned how to drive the truck, but first he had learned to operate the lawn mower, then the tractor, and finally when he was ready he drive the truck.

In simple words. Every time he walked around the house it reminds him a lot of his old man and so much so that he always felt very bad about himself that he even avoided eating something by spending a few days hungry.

But that was before, he had learned from sophie's advice long ago and went on with his life. you have to smile at life, and also sophie was right about something. What use would it be to continue lamenting for someone who will not return? Over time, he managed to overcome the loss.

One of their neighbors had moved to another place to live and in their previous house, another couple of newlyweds arrived who were very kind to him and sophie, they came to play cards, sometimes they invited them to eat something, and even chatted about certain things.

Dell became very good friends with the husband who was his neighbor, perhaps they are very good friends.

Then a problem begin in which he had become involved without realizing it, at first it wasn't a big deal but then this "little problem" started to grow and get worse over time.

The problem was so big that it caused his new neighbors to leave the same place. And incidentally leaving dell a bad taste in his mouth making him hate this place and hate the house where he has lived for so long... he no longer feels comfortable being in this place.

He comes up with an idea but he needed sophie's approval first.

At first she did not want, and also that she did not believe in the unbelievable reasons that he gave to her at the beginning with that stupid suggestion. Dell had no choice but to tell sophie the truth and why the problems.

She was very shocked and disappointed with her brother for what he had done... but at the end of a very serious, a bit strange and uncomfortable talk at the same time. She agreed to sell the grandpa's house, farm, along with the land that it occupied. The money from the sale was distributed equally, which had resulted in a great profit for both parties.

While they gathered their items to be able to move. sophie found an old portrait holder which carried two photos inside it. One with a photo of the two of them appearing as children and their parents together before their fatal accident, they were posing towards the camera with their old house behind. The other brought her grandfather and grandmother holding hands with the somewhat new cabin along with their old barn in the background.

Sophie shows them along with the frame that is in perfect condition to Dell who, when taking it in his hands, begins to examine it instead of seeing them. He examines the small wooden box full of dust with great interest and which is also very large and wide to only keep two simple photos. and also that little detail in the upper part of the frame catches much his attention and... "CLICK" something like a small mechanism opened inside the frame when he was playing whit what he did not expect at all to be a small button instead of a cheap ornament.

Inside the box he found a few quite old papers. After a thorough inspection at the papers, he was able to realize that they were documents to declare the new owner of the old house that belonged to his parents... judging by the date and because he has all the necessary signatures to make them authentic and sublime. only a name would be missing to establish the new owner of that place and...

"this belongs to me." Sophie takes the papers along with the photos and puts them in her bag.

"Why?" Protest dell.

"You already have. Or rather you 'had' most of our grandfather's inheritances. Which apparently you have already found good use for them. Therefore, This belongs to me and I would surely be an better owner of that house than you." She ends with a snap of her fingers and continues with what she was doing first, packing. Sophie seems to be in a no good mood to reason or talk a little more about it.

Dell lets out a sigh of defeat and continued to packing too... but that photograph of his parents' old house made the old city where they lived return to his mind, he remembered his old friends and the places around them. "Hmm..." he mutters to himself as he closes a box. (It would be a good idea if... I leaving texas to go to that city? Where nobody remembers or hates me?) He Thinks deeply.

He thinks it would be a good idea, plus here in texas he only has bad experiences and pain. But in that city... maybe he can start a new life again from zero. After so long he also would like to see the old place where he was born again and he is very curious about to see how much has changed with he time.

"Yes. definitely will be a good idea."

"You say what?"

.


	4. the place that was once a home.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dell and sophie move back to the house which belongs to their fathers and they will keep with what they have in mind.

The plane in which they arrived at the city airport had landed an hour ago.

The two, Dell and Sophie, are in a taxi to their parents' old home. As the airport is located ridiculously far from the city, the most convenient thing they could think of was to call a taxi to take them, since obviously none of them have planned to walk several kilometers to the city. During the silent road trip set by the casual music the taxi driver had put on the car stereo while having a small, non-personal chat with them, sophie was the only one talking to the driver keeping the conversation interesting, instead of dell who kept his interest and cheers looking out of the taxi window that seemed the most interesting thing to do during this whole quiet trip.

They must first cross through a green and fairly overgrown forest. Which he can assure and he is also very sure that it has grown in quite a lot since the last time he saw it, he remembers the trees but he does not remember that these were too big that they could be compared as buildings.

Once they cross the forest, now it is time to go through the rural areas before reaching the city, they must pass through this road that has several curves that cut the different hectares. the giant trees cease to appear and are replaced by a few of normal height.

Along the side of the road they can see some houses in the distance, but these are the ones on the outskirts of the city where people prefer to live country life and not be surrounded by so much annoying city noises and breathe some pure air and live the life of farmers with some other animals living with them. Sophie looks at those houses with some interest, not ignoring the fact that she likes farm and animals a lot since she lived with most of them for a long time.

After passing the fields of tall grass they start to see some buildings not so far away now in the main road. Sophie is excited and restless to arrive and Dell too but he only shows a small smile. Once the taxi enters the big city. Dell looks at both sides of the vehicle windows. It had been a long time since the last time he was in this place and it seems that it preserves the same characteristic atmosphere as always, he barely manages to recognize any other house or store that apparently has not changed much.

Of course, some other decoration here and there or one or two more floors above the same house that he manages to remember and still remains like they was before. When passing through the park by the lake, he manages to see and recognize on one corner of the main street the old bar of Mr.Francis degroot that apparently is still standing and working as he remembers it.

In less than a second Dell remembered his old friend Trent. He wonders if he is in the city or what has been in his life during all this time that he has been away, it would be nice to meet old pals of him. He just hopes they recognize him as much as he does.

The taxi reaches its destination in no time.

Dell pays for the trip and they both get out of the taxi along with their suitcases. The taxi driver receives the money and handing back the change to dell, and after saying goodbye to them he starts the vehicle's engine and leave. Dell and sophie stare at the front of the house contemplating at the depressing and abandoned place for what seemed like minutes.

Dell takes a lot of air filling his lungs and releasing it a few seconds later. sophie is the one who takes the first step towards the place, she places her hand on the door knob making it turn, the door opens slowly revealing a completely dark living room, sophie enters and begins to look around, dell follows her behind.

As expected, the place looks as depressing as one expected it to be an abandoned home for several years, the whole place is covered in dust and cobwebs. There are some curtains on the windows that are completely worn and old and these also help to cover some wooden boards preventing sunlight from entering inside, the paint on most of the walls is very faded, discolored and sad. All rooms were empty from roof to the floor but retained the occasional piece of furniture inside, except for the one in the main room, which is the only room that apparently still has some furniture in it.

All accessible sites retain the same depressing atmosphere as all others. The shelves and sofa in the living room are covered with a kind of plastic or fabric so that they are not completely covered with dust.

"Well..." sophie breaks the wistful silence as she claps her hands, "I know it looks very gloomy and depressing. But nothing like hard work to make this place shine like a morning day in spring." Sophie spent the next hour and half describing her plans and designs for the entire house that she was planning in her mind all this time and now that she had claimed to be the legitimate owner of the house, and since she is the owner of the house now, she will be able to carry them out from true.

Dell was barely listening to her.

Dell was focused on something else which left him in a series of blank spaces of thoughts, One of the thoughts that runs around his brain and leaves a small mixture of enthusiasm, fear and insecurity is the mere fact that what he is going to do with his life now. He sees his sister and she seems to have drawn the road of her future along with all her plans, and now she is simply following that path to the letter.

And he doesn't have anything planned, he doesn't have plans, he doesn't have designs, and he doesn't even know what to do from now on, the only thing he knows and must do, is get a job for the moment to earn his own money, temporary or permanent. until he find his true vocation and something to do in his life that identifies him.

Honestly he is very envious of sophie in this point.

Sophie mentions in the middle of her plans that when she is well settled in the place and has enough free time she is going to meet someone, 'her soul mate'.

Dell thinks about that topic for a moment, more than you would have imagined. In this moment he does not plan to be with anyone specifically in something or in any kind of relationship. Not after what happened with the last time he-

"And for you." 

dell is taken out of meditation in a blink as sophie walks over to him pointing at his name and giving him a small spanking with her palm behind his head.

He had no idea that he was lost in his mind while looking at the ceiling like a complete absentminded, he feels quite silly just for that, "if you plan to stay here. You are only going to be able to stay free for the first two weeks and after that, you I'll start owing me money for your stay." She points at him with a sly smile.

"...what," Dell asks a little confused, hoping she's joking about it. But in the frown on her face, she shows that she is not joking.

"That's right, my little friend. So you better find yourself a place to go when that happens, because otherwise we will see what is coming."

"but why?"

"Because I am the owner of the place and I say so." (Hard but true)

Dell sighed in defeat and yawned, "I think we should rest for today. It's been a long day." dell suggests and she agrees with him, the sun had gone down a while ago.

Dell opens the door to his old room. It looks just as depressing as the others. The bed seems to be intact, covered by a large plastic bag on top of it and a bit dirty it was. ("Better than nothing") he thinks to himself.

He removes the plastic from the bed and lies down on it, it was something big and it's not how he remembers it to be.

Before he falls asleep, his mind goes through all the events what happened to him this period of time, the death of his grandfather... the fact that through his fault they had to sell the house they inherited to now be here... damn it... the bed is very uncomfortable. And according to sophie the truck with all the moving things will not come for two days in the morning.

And without realizing it he had fallen asleep.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

"Wake up lazy bones."

"WUA...?" dell almost fell out his bed from the dizziness he felt from getting out of his own bed so fast.

"Get out of that bed right now. The truck with the moving item has arrived." Sophie clarifies in a medium high tone to make sure she brings dell out of the dream he was still in.

Dell rubs his face with both hands so he can get out of his sleep bit "wait... didn't you say they would be here in two days?" Dell asks amid an irritated yawn.

"Apparently it's look like one last minute change of plans. I want you out of that same bed and ready in the living room to help me take down each one of the furniture, and fast." sophie issues the order while clapping her hands a few times as a signal to him to hurry up and get out of bed, and with that last she leaves the room.

"Tsk... apparently today will be a very long day."

Sophie was helping the men taking down the moving supplies. She told them and pointing to the guys where each thing will be located and where it will be. Dell also helped with that, he was a little bothered by the strict manner in which she gave orders as if she were the queen of the place. Then dell was given a tool box and was given the task of removing all the planks in the windowa and securing the staircase which leads to the upper floor to avoid an accident that almost happened to a worker who tried to bring a small sofa upstairs.

While dell replace the door of one room that came down because it was not securely attached to the door frame, he could see with one eye how some men's who was resting on some chairs chat a little with sophie in the room continued to that while she delivered some glasses with lemonade to each one in the form of thanks and then continued to pass a feather duster here and there removing dust from all accessible places. 

Sophie does not have any problem with socializing with the people around her or with anyone that she bumps into. Instead, Dell can hardly have a conversation with someone and it is not that he does not want to, he just does not come up with an interesting topic in which anyone can not bore and attracts something of interest from the other person who is supposedly listening, so he only gives short answers without generating more questions that he does not bother to answer about it.

It took them all day but they were able to accommodate and fix everything in its place. Dell sits on the brown sofa completely exhausted, the muscles in his arms and legs are burning, his face is completely red and he is not able to stop sweating and nor able to breathe normally due to how tired he is. and also when moving the smallest muscle, it begins to hurt inside or makes a cracking sound of pain. Also his stomach rumbling because he hasn't had a single bite of food all day and he is starving after so much hard work.

Sophie had anticipated the situation, bringing with her two plates with some soup in them. ("Worse is nothing"), he thinks to himself.

With a great effort, dell takes the plate in his hands, he was so weak that it feels like he is carrying a whole sack of cement instead of a simple glass plate, he is very careful and tries not to shake too much so the food doesn't fall to the ground.

"I hope you rest very well tonight, little brother." sophie mentions while eating her soup.

"Why are you telling me that?"

"Because tomorrow we will have to repair, fill and paint the walls, also there is the fact that you have to repair the bathroom and make it work as soon as possible." She giggles.

dell accidentally bites his own tongue "...what?"

"What you heard. So tomorrow I want you up at the same time as today."

"...and what you can't call someone else to do it apart of me?" dell suggests hoping that sophie will consider it ... Too bad he doesn't have that much luck on that.

"Ha, You wish. If you want to stay here, you better do something worthwhile, you know, and tomorrow is not the only thing missing for MY house to be finished so you can get an idea about it."

Dell collapses on the sofa, if today was a torture of exhausting work, he don't even want to imagine what is coming.

The next day dell did nothing more than work on all the repairs that were very necessary throughout the bathroom. it was necessary to change and install new pipes changing the old and broken ones in addition to checking if the water heater worked well and correct, It is a surprise that it does work. Completely repairing and modifying the bathroom had taken more than expected, leaving him without force in his hands.

While dell took care of the bathroom, sophie was in charge of cleaning the whole place from top to bottom while she was humming to the rhythm of a peculiar song that came out of the radio that he did not know very well but according to her, the song is well known. At least she was doing a very good job since in the end the whole place was more than shiny. Sophie seemed very satisfied with how the place looks.

The day after that it was the turn of painting. Sophie brought several cans of paint along with the brushes. First, the living room was ordered to be painted with a shiny jade green color, which suited the place very well. Then followed the kitchen that she wanted to be light blue. Dell was painting a corner and accidentally came across a hidden door that was covered in paper making a false wall.

He immediately called sophie to see what was found. As the door did not have any handle to open it and apart from that they did not have the key to that door, there was no other choice but to knock it down revealing what it seemed to be the old garden of their mother which she adored a lot and they both remember very well. the house has a backyard in which his mother used to have a very beautiful flower garden. It is rare that they have not seen it from the front of the house.

Sophie pass from dell to see all the place. the grass has overgrown more than one would imagine that these could even cover your legs completely, The bushes with plants and flowers were all dead and withered, the pots were all broken and full of mosses and worms.

What was to be expected after such a long time of neglect. The place looks like a small depressing putrid forest but without trees.

Sophie closes her eyes to remember how beautiful this place looked and how her mother cared for this whole place with great affection, and it was thanks to her and this place that she developed her love for plants.

She promises herself to transform this place and is going to make this dirty and repulsive sector transform into something beautiful as it used to be before and maybe much better.

She lets out a sigh and turns to him "while I take care of the painting. I want you to get rid of all the weeds in this place, completely." and enter the house.

"...wait what?." She ignores the complaints coming from dell, "...damn it." Turning around, dell catches sight of an old shed in which he finds a convenient mower that still works in conjunction with a pair of yellow rubber gloves that fit well in his own hands with protective eyewear.

After gardening, he places the six oversized trash bags on the sidewalk filled with all the rotting debris collected from the backyard.

just in time because was passing the garbage collector who took the bags. His right hand burns from the arduous pain he feels there, He did not expect that in the middle of all the grassland there would be a wild raccoon that attacked him with scratches on his arms and bit his right hand, luckily his hand was covered by that glove rubber and he does not want to imagine what would have happened if he had not worn a glove. he hates raccoons because those filthy rats always come out of nowhere.

The moon was rising over the horizon and it had already gotten dark without him noticing.

Dell entered the house too tired and fall down on the sofa.

Sophie hands him a plate of some cooked meat. She is also exhausted from painting the entire house with the colors she had chosen, her clothes has some drops of paint on her. For the bathroom she chose white with some very nice pink flowers around. For her room she used the orange, and for the room that for now was for dell she used the white one too, while for the dining room she used a very nice salmon color.

Dell has to admit that the house is coming to life with all those flashy colors, along with the furniture and decorations that are located in their respective places.

"Are we done yet?, with everything i mean." Dell asks believing that all this is over and he no longer has to work.

"Nope," she replies, "the front and back of the house still need to be painted along with the fences.

"...oh please ... give me a break."

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if there is any other error but it is that my beta reader was busy and could not help me in this part.


	5. An old friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dell is reunited with an old colleague that he had known a long time ago and that he remembers very well.

Sophie walked around her house admiring how it had been at the end after a lot of hard work.

The kitchen was very shiny as she had dreaming it would be the kitchen of her dreams, the entrance next to the living room is a wonder to her eyes, and not to mention her own room which you cannot believe how it look.

She pinches her cheeks believing that she is dreaming right now of this whole place that is better than she expected it to be, the garden is somewhat empty but she can deal with it when she has time. Sophie is so excited as a child who just received his first Christmas toy and appreciated it as the most valuable thing to him. She feels the same way about her house so much that she has no words to describe how happy she is right now.

but on the other hand. Dell is lying on the couch panting very tired from working so much and without rest for a whole week. He can't take it anymore, his legs hurt so much that he can hardly stand and his arms hang from his body like a pair of weak thin threads that are about to come off at any moment. Dell gets up off the couch with much difficulty and goes for a glass of water before going to bed to rest until the next morning.

He brings a whole glass of water to his mouth and consumes it all in one gulp, then goes up the stairs to what Sophie says would be his temporary room until he finds a place where he can stay since she doesn't stop mentioning the fact that this is her house and he only will be his guest.

And no matter how many times he said to her that message has been very clear to him since day one, she will keep repeating it over and over again.

Dell wakes up the next day and slowly rises from his bed once he is awakened from a deep sleep that had suited his tired body very well.

the crunch sound given from his back became sharp as he stretched his muscles, luckily it disappeared after a few moments. He rubs his eyes a little with the palms of his hands to awaken a little from the sleep.

After taking a well-deserved bath and dressing appropriately in casual clothing, he was ready to start his day. Going down the stairs, he heads towards the living room but changes his course and heads towards the kitchen when his nose is assaulted by that very sweet chocolate smell that comes from the kitchen.

"Good morning little brother." Sophie greets him from the kitchen table taking a cup of coffee with chocolate chip cookies.

"Good morning." dell responds amid a yawn that he could not contain.

"I made an extra cup with coffee for you, if you like." Dell keeps an eye on the table that indeed has a cup of coffee on it along with a plate with several chocolate chip cookies (that's why it smells like chocolate) he thinks internally while looking at sophie for a second doubting of her generosity.

"Also i make a couple of chocolate chip cookies as you like to accompany your coffee." She smile at him, Dell narrows his eyes doubting his sister's kindness. But still he decides to be nice and accepts her "generosity" by sitting at the table.

"Thanks, I guess." says dell sarcastically and takes the cup of coffee along with a cookie.

He enjoys the suspicious breakfast that has been prepared for him this morning, but he cannot fully enjoy it because he can see in the corner of his eye how Sophie is closely watching him.

"So..." Sophie gasps, drawing dell's attention, "What... what do you have planned to do from now on?"

"...why are you asking me that now?" dell raises one eyebrow more than the other.

"Hmm... curious." she responds simply and with a friendly smile.

Dell stares at the ceiling for a few seconds so he can think about how to answer that question. "Being completely honest with you. I have no plans to go anywhere or do anything soon. So let's say that for now I am at the starting point, from zero." dell admits.

"Good... I mean, you lazy bones. you must do something with your life and work at least, move your butt. So you can go and get your own house." Dell crosses his arms to think more clearly about that last thing she said.

"You know what, you're right on that."

"Wait, what?."

"Yes. You're right. I need to do something with my life. I need to get out my butt and find my true vocation out there, yeah, that's what I'm going to do right now. You know, sometimes you're very smart if you set your mind on it, little sister." in a sip he finishes all the remaining coffee in his cup, he takes a cookie to eat on the way and with that he starts to climb the stairs towards his room.

"Wait!" Sophie puts her cup on the table and prepares to follow him, "What are you going to do?." Sophie asks him in the middle of the door while covering his vision with his right hand.

"As I have nothing better to do now..." he puts on black pants "I am going to take a walk around the city on foot so that I can clear my mind's thoughts and know what to do. Besides, walking a little will be good to my body." He pulls on his favorite blue shirt apart from white socks on his feet.

"Hey you know... you don't need to look for a job or something to do right now." she watches as he gets under the bed trying to find his shoes. "You should get a little more rest for today now that you can. You've been working hard these last few days, could you do that another day. You know?"

Dell sits on the edge of his bed to put on his shoes. "There is no better time than now. I'll be able to rest other day, plus, I get really bored very easily here." dell says goodbye to his sister which he does not leave her the opportunity to detain him any longer in whatever he is supposed to do outside... which is absolutely nothing since dell has no reason to go to a certain place in particular or especially, also that it was certainly a brilliant idea to go out and stretch his legs a little.

He passed it walking aimlessly along the road, seeing the houses that was around and some of the block of the place are familiar to him. He recognizes the old library, the Korean mini-market, that cafeteria where serve the most delicious coffee and desserts ever tasted there, he wonders if that place still conserves the same aesthetics since he could only go once to that establishment and he not remembers it very well.

On his way, he passes the school he attended for a long time. He stares at the building, which apparently has changed a lot, while the memories come and among those he remembers his old friends, the few he had made in this place... the flashback he was having was interrupted by the screeching noise of the entrance gate opening.

an man comes out with a couple of garbage bags in one hand and under the other he brings a big white box, dell guess that he will be one of the people in charge of cleaning the place, the man throws in the trash cans what appears to be an old broken projector, dell's curiosity is calling him.

Once the man returns inside the building it was a good moment for him to take a look at that projector that caught his attention once he had seen it.

(Hmm ...) the thing is not in as bad condition as it appears. Why have they thrown it away? But if they threw it in the garbage it's for a good reason maybe. but maybe if he opened it and saw it with more detail...

Dell shakes his head and leaves the object he just picked up from the trash where he just picked it up. It's not his business.

Without further amusement, he continues with his walk to nowhere looking at where catches his attention on the streets. He passes by the laundry and an employee is leaving a washing machine on the sidewalk in front of him.

("huh?")... Dell continues walking.

The electronics store in the other side is throwing out a bag with old cell phones battery chargers, an employee at the butcher shop in front leaves a refrigerator on the sidewalk as well, The cafeteria throws out a flat screen TV, the store ahead leaves a weaving machine in the garbage as well.

("How strange... why all these people are throwing away all these...")

Without realizing it, Dell ends bumping head-on into a person who was walking in the opposite direction to him and said person drops the shopping bags with groceries from the market that he was carrying with him.

Dell quickly apologizes to the man and starts helping him lift the groceries from the ground and put them back in the bags. sadly the eggs didn't survive the fall.

The other person says that there is no mind about it while he also starts to collect the items from the floor.

Once dell finishes lifting everything, he gives the bag to its respective owner. "I'm really sorry about what just happened sir, it was very silly of me not paying attention on the road." dell apologizes again to the person in front of him.

"No. Its Not a problem, it's my fault for bump with you." the other secures while receiving the bags and holds them firmly in his left hand.

"Well, I'm very sorry for this... I... I will pay back for what was broken or spoiled on the ground." He points to the eggs and flour that are scattered on the floor. "It is not necessary, is not the big deal laddie."

"but..." dell insists but is cut off by the guy "don't worry too much, everything is fine okay?" Although the guy looks very calm, dell still feels guilty for being very clumsy.

"Hmm... your face... it's looks... very familiar to me." the man mentions in a low voice rubbing his chin.

"What" At the same moment the guy in front of him let out a gasp of astonishment as he realized something and clicked his fingers.

"Hey. By any chance is your name... dell conagher?" The guy asks directly.

"Ah... yes, it is... err... how... how do you know?"

"Aha. I knew it. You still have that same nerdy appearance with you, lad." He puts the bags down in the ground carefully and gives dell a hug and a few pats on the back. Dell doesn't understand what's going on.

The man releases him and looks him right to the face eith a frown "What? Don't you remember your old friend?" Dell shakes his head as if he has no idea about who he was.

The guy starts laughing... Why is he laughing? Did he do or say something funny to make him laugh like that? The man wipes a tear from his left eye and tries to calm himself. "Yes. I would have forgotten you too. After all, it has been so long... What am I saying?" He steps back and extends his hand "tell me that you still remember the good trent degroot." He says proudly pointing to himself.

"...Wait...are you trent?"

"The same, buddy."

"oh, wow. Indeed you have changed a lot trent." dell receives another hug from his old friend trent and this time he returns it.

"How long has it been?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Like several decades maybe." Trent jokingly mentions and dell laughs a little at that.

"Tell me Dell. How did it go in Texas? What things did you see and what did you do there...? Wait... What are you doing here in the city again? I thought you said you would stay there Texas for now on." Before dell could answer any of trent's questions he interrupted him, "Wait, don't answer me, I know. Why don't we talk in my bar? So we can have a drink in the meantime and be more comfortable." Trent suggests.

"Your bar?"

"Yes, My bar. Do you remember the old bar that my father had? Well now I'm running it."

"Good for you... hmm... sounds good to me." dell agrees to go to the bar since he had nothing better to do at the moment and also a drink will not hurt, on this day of somewhat hot temperature, together with a small talk to hang out.

Dell looks back at the bags with the groceries trent was holding before in first place and are now on the floor "ah... trent... are you going to take the bags to the bar with you or..."

"the what?." Trent seems to have forgotten about the bags landing on the ground, "...OH SHIT! I completely forgot, if I don't get them home soon she's going to kill me."

"huh?"

"Dell, Buddy, I have to run. You know where the bar is, right?." Dell nods remembering the location, "Perfect, wait for me there, it won't take me long, see ya soon." With that last saying, Trent started running away as if there was no tomorrow leaving dell with a 'what the hell just happened here' face.

.


	6. A"very friendly" talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after they meet again, dell has a little chat about his past with his old friend.

Dell stood in front of the entrance to the bar which for obvious reasons is closed by the owner is not there. It hadn't been long since he was waiting.

But because of the heat that's on his head it feels like a good time has passed, Of course there were worse there in texas but he can't argue anything when he have been waiting for someone standing under the incandescent afternoon sun for more than half an hour and there's no shadows near by.

time in time he looked at the sign over the bar, It was a hand holding a big cristal mug of beer that spilled from the edge, he has in mind that maybe that sign will light up and shine at night, Who knows.

dell's stomach makes noises and a very clear image is drawn in his mind, and is The one that what could be for dinner tonight at the house and knowing Sophie very well, she will surely leave the dinner to get cold in the middle of the table so he has to heat it to be enjoyable as it had happened a couple of times before.

It will be a pain but that's life.

Trent comes running from wherever he came from. He leans against the wall sweating and panting trying to rest a little and catch his breath, as if he had just come from one marathon.

Dell assumes that it must have been something very urgent or very important if it was necessary to run like that "Are you okay?" He asks him something curious and concerned at the same time.

"Yes ... huff ... thanks for waiting for me. But I had forgotten that I was in a hurry with those bags before I bump into you." Trent giggles as he rubs his cheek, "well, why we don't go inside, Yes?." Trent reaches into his pants pocket for his key.

"Trent."

"what happen?"

"There will be no problem with this?"

"What do you mean?" Trent asks as he plays with the keychain he brings, staring closely at it looking for the correct one.

"Well ... err ... you don't need to open your bar just for us to talk. We could just talk somewhere else or another time if you're busy. I don't want to bother you or cause any trouble."

"What? It doesn't exist and there isn't the slightest problem laddie, and also today I have the day off and I didn't plan to open the bar anyway."

"Oh ok."

"Come on in." trent opens the door enough to let dell pass first and once he enters, trent turns on the lights so dell takes his time to admire the place where he is.

The reinforced wooden bar is to the right of the place and it has a pair of high wooden stools with a soft round red top, behind the bar there is an oversized shelf where there are a lot of glass bottles of different sizes and designs with their respective names along with the type of alcohol they contain inside each bottle. To the left of the place are a few round tables with seats surrounding them. next to the bar is a jukebox but it is turned off, in the center of the place there is a pool table and in the background are the bathrooms and lastly, all the decoration in the bar has a medium old but at the same time modern look, Something that dell himself admits is very good.

"You like the place?." Trent asks as he walks behind the bar. "Yes. The place looks very good. You have good taste for the decoration." dell mentions sitting on one of the high chairs in front of trent.

"Aw. Enough of it, can't you see I'm blushing." Trent laugh at his own words, he takes a glass jar and fills it with a classic liquor for his old friend. "Here you go, this one is paid by the house."

"You are not going to make me pay for this later. Right?"

"Well ... not the first two, now, if you want more you will have to pay like everyone else."

"...Thanks?" Dell takes a sip from his jar.

"Well, my friend, now tell me. What brings you through these seas?."

"Ah ... nothing in particular, I was going through here and there for no apparent reason, Then I crashed with a blind man who ran into me, and the rest you already know."

"Mh-hm, Fair enough, Okay, but hey. Why don't you tell me why you went to live in Texas in the first place, because if I remember very well, you left without saying anything about it and that bothered me a bit in the moment, I know at the time you didn't want to talk about it and I respected your privacy. But ... you know."

dell looks at his jar for a few seconds and drank until he finished more than half the contents of the jar with a sip. "Ah ... for where I start?"

At the beginning he had his doubts about whether he should touch on a very personal subject and with several painful memories. To be completely honest, he just wouldn't like to talk about it at respect. But due to natural causes and pity, he remember how trent is an insistent and capricious person but not a bad guy and quite understandable with others and he has a good ear when listening to other people's problems apart from remembering that he was a very good companion with him a long time ago and he never leave it hanging when he needed it.

He thinks it would be a good idea to open his mind a little with his old friend.

After taking a necessary sigh, Dell proceeds to tell him everything that has happened to him since they stopped talking to each other without getting too entangled and without too much detail. He tells him about the death of his parents and how after that he and his sister went to live at his grandfather's ranch in Texas because in these city they had no other relatives to stay with and they had no other option.

During the entire time that Dell was recounting his past, Trent did not say a single word as he listened with great attention to his friend's story as the good listener that he is and at the same time feeling somewhat sorry for the poor dell who is with that melancholic look sunk in his own jar in front of him.

Dell shows a small smile when he begins to relate that along with his old man they had many good moments and for obvious reasons he does not mention things about his personal life to trent like his ... "lifestyle", he still feels a little shame when it comes to that.

"Surely your grandfather was a great man." Trent mentions.

"Yes ... he was." dell smiles a little more when remembering about the man with whom he could have a great special bond and share many great experiences that connected and united them (except one).

"But ..." trent still has a doubt in his mind, This attracts dell's attention.

"If you had a house back in texas with everything you needed ... what are you doing around the city? I don't think you're just visiting, do you?."

"Ah ..." dell doesn't know how to answer that. "What happens is ... a small problem occurred there in texas and ... the farm had to be sold ... and sophie thought it was a good idea to come here and ..." dell tries to lie but it is very difficult for him to do it since he cannot think of a good lie or something credible with which to cover it, but in the middle of that trent opened his mouth.

"Were you escaping from your debts?"

"No."

"Did you have problems with someone?"

"no."

"You were going to have an unwanted child and decided to run away?." In that last dell began to feel offended.

"No!"

"You were on a risky and committed adventure and it ended very badly?"

"... N ... NO... ok enough." dell stood up from his seat while pointing his finger at him. "STOP ASKING QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NOT ASK, OK? THAT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS!" trent takes a step back from the sudden change in dell.

"... err ... sorry ... I did not want ..." he apologizes quickly for his mistake but dell had already taken it very personally that trent is getting too involved in matters that he does not want to touch for certain reasons he would not like to mention.

"... listen. We only moved here because it was said so, okay? There is nothing else. End of story." dell takes the beer mug and in one gulp finishes what was left inside it and sits on the bench again while avoiding eye contact with trent and trying to calm his nerves a little, the cold alcohol helps him to lower his temperament a little.

While filling a third jar for his friend, Trent thinks deeply about what to say or do to get out of this very uncomfortable situation he just got into by opening his mouth too much, it was not his intention to make his old friend react like that. he was just curious.

But as the old saying goes that fits perfectly into this situation 'curiosity killed the cat'

"Uh ... dell listen, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to ..." Trent tries to start again and not screw up again.

"No, it's fine." dell interrupts him before he can say anything else, the volume of his voice was back to the one before, but he still has a bit of anger in him.

After a sigh he continued "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, it's just ... I just don't want to talk about it. alright?." Trent nods.

"Okay, sorry for meddling in your affairs so much." the atmosphere between the two is somewhat alleviated.  
  
"But ..." Trent comes again, "Still. Could you tell me what you have planned to do in the city?."

"Uh ..." dell scratches his head. If he had an answer to that he would give it instantly but unfortunately he doesn't have it yet, "I ... I don't know." dell sinks into the seat and crosses his arms, "Being completely honest with you trent. I don't have anything to do at the moment. I don't have a plan in mind or something like that to do from now on since I'm free from 'jobs'."

"jobs?"

"Yes. It's just since we moved together with sophie to the city, to my parents' old house. She had sent me to do all the repairs and installations in the whole place. And you have no idea how I went from here to there for a whole week, without a single break."

"ha. I have an idea of what you are having there with her."

"Yes. And to top it off, she keeps insisting that I should get my own place to live or else she will start charging me for staying in 'her beautiful dream home'. hish."

"wait what"

"Did I not tell you? Sophie is the owner of our parents' house, and no matter how many times she repeats it to me, and the fact that has already become very clear to me since day one. She continues repeating it and repeating it."

"Ha ha, yes. Typical of women. You're in luck that she's not your woman." Trent lets out a loud laugh as he hits the bar with his fist.

"...That's not funny!." Trent wipes a tear from his right eye trying to stop laughing at his own joke "yes, yes, sorry," he lets out a good 'oh' after laughing so hard and loud. "So In short words, sophie is the owner of the house where the two are now living and despite the fact that you arranged the place as she ordered, she still wants you to get out and get your own place so that you can leave the house. And you don't have a job at the moment. Am I correct?."

"Uh ... yes ... more or less."

"Uh-huh, yes, I can already imagine how you are doing." Trent says as he takes the empty jar so he can clean it. "But hey."

"what happen?"

"If you need help looking for a job, you can count with me in that, if you need a consultation or a little push. You can come here looking for some help." Trent says with a friendly smile on his face.

"I appreciate it, but at the moment I'm fine, thanks."

"Okay. But don't hesitate to ask me for some help if you need it." dell offers a small smile and a nod in appreciation of his generosity.

"Hey after all What time is it?." Dell looks out the windows of the bar and is stunned to see how the sun was setting over the horizon. "Shit. we really had been here all day? I have to go."

"Oh. Seriously? Don't go yet. It's Saturday and it's still very early and my friends are about to..." trent suggests but was cut.

"Thanks but I can't. If I don't get home soon she's going to leave me out again." dell says goodbye to trent and being very quickly goes to the exit.

Due to the fact that he was in a hurry, dell bump right in the entrance with a man wearing a red jacket and a cap over his head that covers most of the top of his head, just because he was in a hurry, dell didn't apologize to him the way it was due or even turned to see his face, he just said a quick 'I'm sorry' and continued on his way.

"(...) and who was him?." The one wearing the red jacket asks trent.

"Sigh ... Just an old comrades of mine. It was time for you to arrive, now only the others left so we can start with..."

The next morning dell wakes up from a deep and relaxing dream in which he was, he could sleep wonderfully. Although the mattress springs bothered him a bit. He hadn't rested like this in a long time and he did need it.

When he had returned from the bar the night before. He had been amazed to see how Sophie had prepared a wonderful fresh meat stew with potatoes from the oven that was to die for the good it was. Dell didn't say anything as he was starving at the time. Sophie scolded dell for going to a bar for a drink, he told her he didn't do any of that. But the smell of alcohol emanating from his body gave him away in a good way

(Although he had not drunk much but Sophie had very sharp senses).

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if takes me ages for updates, but i have a little trouble with something but everything is going on wheels now on so don't worry.


	7. It was not what I was expecting.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dell learn more about some issues related to the city, but it wasn't what he expected   
> ... at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part with really good mess ahead, i don't know what I was thinking here blame me later.

More than a week has passed since then.

During all this time dell had established a small routine that was repeated every day the following week.

First, when he wakes up, Sophie awaits him with a freshly made breakfast along with something delicious to accompany it.

Second, he always dresses casually, blue shirt, a pair of black or brown pants and sinple shoes (it does not matter) and in his shirt pocket he keeps his precious glasses that he only uses when is really necessary (if he wore them all the time he would look like someone educated as a teacher or someone specialized in the subject).

Third, he went to the streets for a little walk while his mind is distracted by whatever is in his way, although very few times he stays in the house for less than an hour watching television until he is bored. Each day he always takes different paths than the previous day to vary a little and thus be able to see more things and guide his mind a little faster.

Fourth, after the walk he ends up in the same place, at his friend Trent's bar. he stays there for an indefinite time Sharing a friendly conversation with him, drinking one or two glasses, three at most, or just hanging out and then going home and enjoying a dinner that is very surprising for how luxurious it looks every day sophie makes a different meal.

and lastly in his layout, Before falling asleep he begins to meditate on some things, some are not very important, but others leave him thinking for a long time.

During this almost complete month that passed, dell became aware of several things.

One: sophie is acting too kindly with him, She no longer acts authoritative or rude with him very often as before and it is as if she was someone else completely different from how she used to be before, now she behaves very kind and attentive, Something that is a little scary to be honest.

Two: during his daily walk, he never missed seeing one or more people throwing an electronic item into the streets in the trash. For his good eye, some of those items are not in such a deteriorated condition, others already seem that they would not work again while the others, to his surprise, still work. Maybe with a thorough review to find out what happens to each device, maybe 'he can make it work again' but he decides not to do that. He is not going to start collecting garbage like a maniac or an accumulator with something in the brain, no, he does not want to look like a weirdo.

And last but not least: the bar of trent seems to be very popular in the area since every day he sees a certain number of people, and the only and rarest of all this is that jukebox in that corner. Whenever he sees it, it is on with all those colored lights coming out of it, but the strangest thing is a very remarkable detail that he himself did not leave unnoticed. It is that this jukebox does not play any song, it is only there with those flashy lights without doing absolutely anything more than that. There is no music, there is no sound, nothing, and dell does not believe such a thing is there just to adornment.

One Friday afternoon Dell had finished walking as usual and was heading forward to the bar. "Hey dell. How's my friend doing today?" Trent receives him like every other day, with a greeting that sounds a bit exaggerated next to a reserved seat with a cold jar of alcohol in front of the seat waiting for him that he always occupies every time he comes here to drink something.

Dell sits in the usual seat and takes a big sip from the refreshing jar, just what he needs after a long walk around the city as usual. Dell thanks him for the drink and stares at the rim of the glass jar for what seems like minutes thinking about the same questions he has playing with in his mind and that he would like to ask trent to see if he could give him an appropriate answer so he could take off the doubts in his head.

After meditating for a few minutes he decides to do it, first he looks up to look for trent but sees that he is with another client on the other side of the bar. Dell waits for trent to finish with him so that he can ask him without any pressure, Trent dismisses the man who was attending and sent him to his house before falling into a coma for drinking so much, wishing him the 'be careful and come back another day' before he go through that door.

Trent approaches dell asking if he would like another round. Dell nods and hands him the jar and while Trent is on it, he takes the opportunity to ask him an question. "Hey trent."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Can I ask you something?."

"Sure, go ahead."

Dell clicks his fingers to calm his nerves as he thinks about how to ask the question he has in mind.

"Ah, uh ... lately i noticed how people around here are ... throwing their electronics devices in the trash ... you know, Like televisions, microwaves, refrigerators, and that sort of thing. And I don't understand why they do that, I see them in perfect condition to be disposed of in that way."

trent crosses his arms and the expression on his face as change to one more serious, he mumbles something that dell couldn't quite understand. "right, I forgot that you weren't here in the city when that accident happened." Trent says in the middle of a giggle.

"Huh? What happened?" Dell is very curious about it so sudden.

Trent rubs his chin as he remembers that week in which what happened several years ago happened. Clearing his throat he begins with the history.

"Ok, here I go, grab your seat. Ahem. Several years ago, an old man and his 'daughter' moved to this city in order to create a machinery company for everyday use, somehow they managed to convince the president Helen, so that she will finance their project by promising that it would be something very 'revolutionary'. Over time the company was finished in the northern outskirts of the city. The 'revolutionary' company made hundreds of products and machines that they put up for sale and the people where dying to buy at the beginning." dell was listening to the story that seemed very interesting, it seemed like a child who was told a fairy tale.

"Really? What kind of products did they sell?" Dell asks as he finishes what is left on his jar.

"Heh, why don't you see it yourself." trent pulls out from under the bar a box containing several VHS tapes inside and searches in the pile for a particular one and places it in the VHS recorder.

Taking the remote control from the TV, Trent presses the power button to play the tape. Dell is amazed that Trent keeps VHS tapes together with a player. The video started, it was a kind of commercial in which an old man came out together with a girl promoting a product.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare your minds to see something that will amaze you really good. We present the elements of the future today (gasps are heard in the background). Behold, the wonders coming from our humble 'grayson empire's' factory. Marvel at what you can have Today in your hands, like for example: the robotic automatic vacuum cleaner. With this little beauty you will no longer have to break your back cleaning the dirt from the floors."

(The 'wow' in the background it was very false)

"What did I hear? Do you want a drink from your fridge but are too lazy to get up from your seats? Well, with this little servant and adorable flying friend who will carry out any order that is given just by asking him, that will be an easy task,"

(It was a small spherical robot that could fly thanks to propellers that came out of its upper part and included a hook in its lower part which said that it could bring anything with it. The Flying robot brought a chocolate bar for the girl).

"thanks butlers." Said the girl to the robot, "and that's not all, gentlemen. We also include bodyguard robots, advanced medical devices whose ability is to heal even the largest open wound or even an broken bone in the body in seconds, messenger drones that can also send and bring packages from long distances, cars that could drive themselves. And all at incredible prices gentlemen."

(The applause and shouts of encouragement from the 'public' were heard in the background.)

"So call now so you can order your own..."

Trent stopped the tape at that moment. "Wow. That looks amazing." dell says about the commercial he just saw. He was most impressed by the part where they showed that little flying servant. As he would like to have one of those.

"Yes. That is what you say now." Trent comments dryly.

"Eh? What? What's wrong?"

"Well, it turns out that all those things that appeared in the commercial were-"

"trash!"

"Garbage crap!" 

"Pure street shit!"

Trent was interrupted by the crowd at the back tables and on the benches by the bar who they obviously also saw the commercial.

Dell gives Trent a look like asking, why so much insults?. "Yeah. Basically all of these things Grayson's company made. They were nothing but useless junk."

"really?" Dell can't believe that. After all, that commercial seemed very authentic.

"Yes. I swear on my grandmother's grave. The Messenger drones crashed anywhere or got lost halfway they route, the Bodyguards attacked anyone for no reason and were the most useless bodyguards I've ever seen in my life, the Drones Vacuums didn't clean a shit and the cars that "drive themselves" were very inefficient, ending up in more than one accident even if you didn't want to believe it. And all of what I'm telling you happened in less than a week."

"My friend died because of one of those damn cars." a person in the background yelled enough for everyone in the bar to hear "yes, yes. We already know that story Greg, better not tell it today."

"That's ... is it true? That bad were they?" Dell is shaking from inside. "It is a shame but it is true." trent sadly says, "But at least we took actions after a week of all those catastrophes happened."

"Did you take action?" Trent nods, "What kind of action?."

"Err ... I don't know if it's a good idea to show it to you now." trent suggests but-

"Come on trent 'hiccup' put on the tape."

"Do it trent."

"we want to see it." the impatient crowd of drunkards cheers to see the tape. And After a small laugh that he could not contain, he gives up and decides to look for the other tape that according to everyone is the best one and he also likes to watch it too. But Before putting it on the recorder he needs to make sure of something first,

"well then, I'm going to put on the tape. But if something is destroyed like last time, all of you will have to pay for the damage, did you hear?" with that warning made, trent put the tape.

It was a documentary that was broadcast live on a news channel in which events that occur all day in the city are transmitted daily.

The documentary filmmaker began to narrate the events to the camera.

"Here Vanessa in live and direct reporting on how this big angry crowd starring for almost all the entire city presented here in front of the grayson building. And they do not seem to be joking about how they are threatening to throw the whole building down along with everything it's inside it, and they don't seem to have any intention of retreating until they see the entire place completely destroyed."

"You attacked the grayson building???" Dell cannot believe what he is seeing on the TV screen. The people behind him are laughing and screaming with so much joy as if they would be able to do it again if the opportunity presented itself. "And you still didn't see the best part, my friend." says Trent pointing to the TV and turning up the volume on the tv.

"Attention, attention viewers. The protesters appear to have broken down the security barriers and now they are entering the interior of the company building with much force." It could be heard how there were screams, destruction, and chaos. It is like seeing a kind of pitched war between humans and machines that should be defending themselves instead of just standing and doing nothing about it. It is like seeing and actually movie but this movie happen for real.

"Trent you ... you were there?" Instead of answering, Trent only stared at him for a few seconds with that smile from ear to ear. Then he took the remote control, paused the image and pointed to a lower left where he appeared with a war mask on and some war makeup to cover his face while in his hand he was holding a Molotov cocktail about to be thrown and also he was completely topless.

Dell gulped.

"You should have been there dell. It was so exciting and fun, it also served as a revenge."

"But what if ... why didn't they just leave it to the authorities and so they can take over the matter?" Trent laughs again showing that maniacal smile. He slightly advanced the tape where the reporter continues with her note,

"Here Vanessa where we, me and pepe still continue to see this scene that looks like a war, both my feet are shaking here guys ... (suddenly some police sirens are heard in the background.) Friends, it seems that the police have finally arrived in this whole situation and they will interfering... what the...? guys It seems that the entire police department has just joined the protesters and they are also against this whole company and ... the hell, take Pepe hold the microphone." The reporter takes off her blouse, bends down to pick up a wooden club, and she also joins the crowd.

The tape ended there.

The whole bar celebrated as if what had just happened on the TV was the most amazing thing in the world and so much was the joy of the place that Trent took out his wooden hammer that he kept under the table and hit him against the bar to make everyone calm down and continuing to drink normally again as nothing as happened before something bad start or something ends up breaking on the floor or ends up stamped on someone's head.

Dell was silent for over a minute as he tried to digest everything he saw and put his thoughts in order.

"And the best part is that we managed to get good memories of that day." trent pulled out a box with several pictures from under the bar, he handed it to dell so he could take a look at it.

In the main photo, trent appears with a very beautiful dark-haired woman posing for the camera and in the frame was carved 'do not mess with us' both of those who appeared in the image wear masks and improvised camouflage makeup placed throughout the body.

They are both holding a pair of metal bats in their hands and in the background you could see the remaining rubble of what was the grayson company and four people beating two robots with iron bats until they turned them into junk as if there was no tomorrow. The rest of the photos are the same, trent with one or more people destroying things, "It was a great day, believe it or not." Trent cracks his knuckles while doing a little stretch.

"Oh, check this out," Trent pulls out a shotgun from under the bar, it had a head of one of those robots attached to it by a small chain as a kind of keychain, "and if you ask what happened to Grayson and his daughter, well, I'll tell you, " He takes some air and lets it out, "-One of two simple like that. Either they managed to escape or they died in the middle of the fire and destruction. Their bodies were not found in the middle of the rubble but many assure that they were inside when the attack occurred. No one knows what happened to them and nobody wants to know it because nobody cares. The same goes for you so don't even overthink about it too much since they don't would be worth ... uff ... geez, talking so much left me with a very dry throat. I am very thirsty."

Trent pulls out a bottle of water from one of the coolers under the back shelf.  
  
Dell is looking at the photo in detail. His face was pale from the story he had just heard and he remained motionless for what seemed like minutes. Trent was beginning to worry about his friend, he was about to ask him if he still in the living world, but he came to his senses at that moment he click his fingers in front of him.

"... That ... doesn't answer the question I asked at first, you know?" protest dell.

"What do you mean? Of course I did." answer trent.

"Of course not ... I asked you why people throw 'broken' electrical devices on the garbage and you just showed me a kind of documentary worthy of a video game, movie, or television drama about how people fights against machines." Trent held up his finger to say something ... but now that he sees it from that point of view, what dell says is true.

"... oh, yes you're right hehe,  
Sorry about that. I got carried away a little by the emotion."

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what or why i made this, but it was necessary to, somehow this doesn't end like the plan i have for the transition of how "this" and "that" is supposed to be. 
> 
> Idk maybe i over thinking so much and being paranoid. 
> 
> To my beta reader it is the best part so far, But... maybe.


	8. Is this my... role?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dell learn more about the city and also learn to what is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When appears this symbol "(...)" it's meant that someone is talking to the phone, i don't get a better way to expressing it sorry for that folks. 
> 
> Anyway, long part ahead so take that in mind.

The hours passed very slow and the bar was getting emptier slowly, except for the three people who are talking about whatever they are talking in the background next to the bathrooms.

Dell and Trent stood facing each other talking about sort things that dell would like to know about what is the meaning of what happens around here while Trent cleaned some jars to the rhythm of his stuttering of the tune of a well-known song, then, when he finished, he filled a glass jar and hands it to him and takes out a bottle of water for himself while he reviews in his mind where they had stayed in their previous conversion and continues with what was happening, he licks his lips because they were dry.

"Ok. Let's see ... I just told you about the event of the destruction of an entire company, didn't I?"

"Exactly. And I don't see what that has to do with the rest of what I want to know."

"That's what I'm going friend, that's what I'm going, all in due time. But to know an event of a problem it is necessary to first know the source or root of the problem. I mean, how did it start. Am I correct?" dell was about to say something against that ... but trent is right.

"Well, let's continue. After the destruction of the grayson company. People began to complain to The President about everything that had happened. Another revolt almost started, but luckily the citizens were not so stupid as to get to defy Helen, meanwhile she had paid some workers to build a workshop on the rubble of the previous demolished building, a large number of engineers were hired to work in that place creating new machinery and that's how the thing stayed. The chaos caused by grayson has subsided over the months, people could now feel more secure in being able to buy their household items in places that are more reliable ... until- "(He paused dramatically.)  
"-the company 'mann.conie' had run out of materials for their models. So they had no choice but to use the rest left by grayson. At first everything went well with that But after a few months the electrical objects started to fail. "

"How did they start to fail?" Question dell.

"I don't know how to explain it to you honestly." Trent scratches his chin as he thinks about how to explain it in the simplest way he can think of, "Hmm ... Let's just say ... these work, but don't work at the same time."

"What?."

"Uh? Let me give you a little example, listen carefully. Let's say I buy a microwave, yes? I have it working like normal for a long time, but then it 'stops working'."

"What do you mean by 'stop working'?"

"Well, you see ... This one works. But it doesn't work at the same time."

"how is that?."

"I mean the microwave does what it should do. I mean it turns on and all. But for some reason it doesn't heat the food the way it's supposed to." after trying to follow what trent was explaining, dell seems to have grasped the idea, "The same thing happens with other things. Refrigerators do not freeze, stereos do not produce music, washing machines do not clean clothes. As it is the only company to sell household appliances, people do not seem to have options and keep buying from that place. Because apparently everything works wonderfully at first, but after a certain time the items start to fail and they throw them away. with no choice but to buy another one."

"... and they just can't order their items exported from other places?." Dell argument.

"That is what I think it should be done. But the president does not seem to agree with that idea, money matters perhaps who knows. She says that if they want something 'better' that you get it yourself by paying for the shipments, Something Very selfish if you ask me. For my luck, that is the method of how I get the objects that I buy after what happened since I do not trust what they sell in the mann.conie company, and that's why is all done, you know."

"I see." Dell says in a whisper.

"But I was a complete fool to believe that guy who sold me that one. Damn jukebox over there, he managed to convince me and all that junk was made and came from his home country which was French. What a fool I was at the time." Trent, with a look of irritation, points to the jukebox on the side of the bar.

"What's wrong with that jukebox?" With a sigh, trent signals to dell to come with him. Trent stands in front of the device and hits it not so hard with his foot.

"This piece of scrap metal was created by the mann.conie company and as you can see it doesn't work."

Dell sees how it is on but ... "how does it not work? If I see that it is on."

"That is what it seems but it is also supposed to play music, is it not? If he had wanted in the first place only a box of one and a half meters high that its only function was that it only gave off simple lights, in fact if I was very lucky with this thing. " he kicks it again.

(Oh ... now I understand.) Dell thinks for a moment. So this is the same thing that happens with other people And maybe it is for the same reason that they were throwing those things on the street ... even so.

"Yes. But at least from the mistakes you learn and it won't happen again, they will not scams me again. I plan to get rid of that as soon as possible. You know, you should be careful with the scammers too..." Trent stops in the middle of the bar, He turns around and see dell trying to spin the jukebox with all his might so he has access to the back.

Trent stops in front of him with a very confused gesture painted on his face. "Boy ... what are you doing?" Dell doesn't answer the question trent just asked him, instead, "Do you have a screwdriver?" he asks him extending his hand but without removing his gaze and concentration from the jukebox.

"... uh ... sure ..." trent pulls out a tool box that he kept there and pulls a screwdriver out of it and hands it to him.

Dell says a quick thank you and proceeds to put on his glasses to get a better view of the matter in front of him. After opening a small compartment, he can see what is happening and starts playing with the interior of the device. Trent looks closely at whatever his friend is trying to do with that thing without knowing if he should ask what he is trying to accomplish.

After 10 minutes have passed in which he was touching cables and some buttons, he closes the small compartment and rises from the ground, shaking the dust off his knees, places the jukebox in the position it was in the beginning and returns it to connect to the socket and step back.

Trent looks at the jukebox, then at dell, back at the jukebox, and at dell again. Trent was about to open his mouth and say a few words. But before he could say anything, Dell reach in his pants pocket for something, he pulled out a coin.

After letting out a small sigh, Dell places the coin in the slot and steps back, stopping next to Trent, places his hands on his hips and waits. Noises are heard coming from inside the device and then ... nothing happens.

Trent bites his tongue and can no longer contain his words of leaving. "Uh ... Dell ... I don't know what the hell you tried to do ... or demonstrate. But I think it's better if we..." Trent was silenced by the sudden slow jazz music that came from ... the jukebox ... is working?.

Trent gasps in amazement. He rubs his eyes and cleans his ears, thinking he is dreaming. He cannot believe what he is seeing and hearing at the same time in front of him. The jukebox is working again.

"What did you do?." He asks as he scans the box all over the corners, he just doesn't think it has just repaired like that, it must be magic or something strange.

"I do not know." dell admits with the same level of awe as trent.

"You do not know?"

"Uh ... well, yes. But ... I couldn't explain it. I only saw its interior and ... for some reason I knew what was wrong."

"wow. Dude you must be a wizard or a sorcerer or something like that." Trent laughs a little at the excitement of seeing his jukebox working once again, "hey, you're not hiding something from me, aren't you?" Trent asks smiling wickedly as he raises one eyebrow higher than the other, Dell shakes his head quickly.

Dell can't contain a silly smile on his face when he sees that he just did something interesting without realizing it.

"Hey guys, check this out." dell's deep meditation was cut off by the voice of that young man who stood behind him all this time and watched what was happening. From the sound of his voice it was obvious that he had drunk too much so far.

"What's going on here Fred?."

"Yes. Why are you screaming so much?." The other two people who were sitting in the back came wobbling forward.

"This chubby dwarf present here made the box play music again, come see." the youngest says to his folks.

...dell steps back offended,  
Did he hear what he thinks he heard? Did they just call him small and fat?

"What did you just call me, boy?"

The young man ignored the question what was just asked. Instead he went to his friends and showed them the functional jukebox.

"Who was the moron that made this shoe box run?." The oldest of the trio asks to the air.

Dell bites his lip. "I was the one who fixed it." He responds to the trio in a half calm half annoyed tone.

"You? With your fingers that look like a pair of two centimeter sausages? I don't think so." The middle one comments and the other two laugh out loud together. The blood inside him is heating up a bit thanks to those comments towards his appearance. To calm his temper a bit he assumes these guys are just trying to have a little fun. But making fun of his body's physics is not funny to him.

"I only did what seemed right to me. You can believe what you want, I don't care what-"

"As if someone like you could have done something like that. You must be dreaming dwarf. Why don't you go home. Your parents must be worried about their little pig that just escaped from his pigsty." the shortest but with the appearance of being the oldest mocks him. dell is starting to lose patience with these guys. he clenches his fists and he sees red.

"Come on guys. Don't be so hard on the kid, what if he starts crying?"

the youngest of the three did nothing more than continue the fire instead of stopping and putting it out. Dell has had enough of these guys that they did nothing but make fun of him all this time, clenching his teeth he decide to put them in their place.

"You better shut up if you know what's good for the three of you." The three stopped laughing at the menacing tone in the voice coming from the smaller man in front of them. The biggest of them slowly approaches dell.

"Is that a threat, Punk?" He places his index finger on dell's shoulder and gives it a push.

"Don't you dare to touch me or else, you're gonna regret it." dell threatened them again.

"And what are you going to do if I 'hiccup' if I don't want to stop? Huh? Tell me, dirty fat ball."

"Yes. What are you going to do, huh?"

"Guys. I think it would be better if..."

"I'm going to make you beg for mercy without the damn teeth, did you hear me right, stupid? I've dealt with bigger and stupider jerks than you all together long before you learned to count to 3. You know it's not good to mess with a conagher."

The two guys began to overreact expressions of fear while the younger watched them not far from his friends.

"Oh. I'm so scared, please help me I'm so scared. I'd like to see you try, dwarf." the older one says and without warning he threw a quick fist at dell's face.

Fortunately, Trent intervened by blocking the fist before making physical contact. "Hey! No fights in my bar! I've already told you more than a thousand times. What, do you have concrete in your brain?." Trent squeezes and twists the palm of the guy who was about to hit his friend at a certain angle causing him to give a howl of pain forcing him to get down on his knees in front of him. Trent releases him and the guy steps back.

"Besides, it's time to close the place. Go make a fuss somewhere else. Don't make me pull out the shotgun again."

the guy whose hand was twisted looked at trent with a frown, then at dell "this is not going to stay like this." And the three left the bar, one behind the other without saying anything. (The youngest of the three turned around and whispered a small apology before following his friends again.)

Dell stares at the front door for a few minutes while his fingers and knees are trembling slightly. He did not expect to be in a fight today and that this has started for very silly reasons that makes his stomach feel empty and cold. But he still has rage in his veins. 

He does not understand why he has gone crazy like that just because they made fun of the physics of his body, he would have liked to fix this with a simple talk or just ignore them, he had received that kind of teasing or even worse before but a moment ago he thinks They had pass the line with him and for nothing in the world he would let them teased directly in his face like that without doing absolutely nothing, but he did not expect that these guys had the intention of punch him, thanks to trent he was there to avoid a possible disaster.

"Hey, are you alright?" Trent places his hand on Dell's shoulder, which caused him to jump from his place, "jesus laddie, calm down, heheh, here. Why don't you sit for a moment while I finish cleaning the place, huh?"

"...Okay." Dell sits in the same seat where he was before while Trent cleaned the tables whistling the odd song. Dell stare at trent for a moment, then on the exit, for some reason it makes him shiver.

"You shouldn't think about it too much, if what you're worried about are those three guys from a moment ago." Trent talks while scrubbing the floor with a sink next to a bucket of water. "Hey dell. Would you do me a favor and wipe the bar with that cloth over there? Thank you." Trent continues scrubbing the floors.

Reluctantly, he takes the orange scarf from the side of the table, he's just doing him a favor by being a good friend.

"You have nothing to fear from those three, friend. They are a lot to talk but nothing to act. As they always say. dogs barks but doesn't bite. Take for sure that they will not try anything silly so do not stress too much with that."

"Are you sure about that? They ... didn't seem to be joking about it." dell is still somewhat worried "you just listen to me. This type of thing happens very often here, and in most cases these three idiots are always the protagonists of these troubles. But they are a pair of cowards who would not cause even the slightest fuss." Trent assured in the middle of a giggle.

Dell sighs with relief (although he still has some fear in his mind).

After placing the garbage bags next to the door, dell was ready to go home.

Trent stops him for a moment, telling him if he has a moment that he should show him something quick. "What's up, trent? What do you want to show me?" He asks him.

"Observe." Trent disappears behind the door next to the bar that Dell imagines is the store may be. After a few seconds trent returns with a microwave in his hands along with the toolbox ... but what?

"Could you do your magic and fix this thing for me here? Please." Trent asked with a small smile.

"... Excuse me? But who do you think I am?."

"Oh. Please laddie. Come on, it won't cost you anything." Trent insists putting puppy eyes.

...Dell feels sorry for him, but not in the good way. He does not know whether to accept or reject.

"(...) First of all where did you get that microwave?." Dell asks curiously.

"Oh um ... do you remember the example I told you about the broken microwave?." Dell nods slowly, "Well. Here it is."

(... is he serious?) "But I thought you were just ... Agh. Good, but I don't promise you anything, did you hear me?" dell says defeated. Trent nods, showing a smile from ear to ear. Dell rolls his eyes at that gesture.

...........................................................................

Dell finished checking the microwave, and it had only been almost forty minutes. Trent was amazed again thanks to the skills that dell has with the machines, It is as if there was nothing that this boy did not know or at least is what he believes.

"You are amazing colleague. I really appreciate it." Trent gives half of a hot sandwich to him that he just took out of his recently repaired microwave thanks to him.

"You're welcome." dell can't help but show the small smile on his face to see that trent so excited and excited to see the microwave as new and functional. It looks like a child when receiving a new toy.

Dell had surprised himself, again.

"Well. Uh ... I guess I can go now, we'll see each other tomorrow." dell was heading to the exit when suddenly- "no, wait! Don't go yet." Trent was calling him again. With a sigh of irritation, he returns to his seat.

"What now?."

Trent rubs his hands together slowly. "Answer me one thing, Dell. You don't have a job and you still couldn't get a certain one, right?." 

"Huh ... no. I don't have a job, yet." Dell tilts his head to the side "Why are you asking me that now?." He doesn't know what Trent has in mind.

"Because ... I just came up with a brilliant idea, in case you're interested in hearing it."

"what kind of idea?."

"It is very simple. You can start working as a home engineer or have your own place so the people come to your house or store taking their defective devices of all kinds to you to repair, you know, and they have to paid for a certain amount of money in exchange for your service repair and people will come more and more to you so that you with your 'abilities' will amaze them."

"...do you want me to do what?."

"Come on. You're not going to deny me that sounds like a good idea." trent says very enthusiastically but dell has his doubts about it with that idea of becoming a kind of guy who calls himself 'someone who solves practical problems', he is not entirely convinced.  
  
"Boy read my lips, you have a Don, or something like that. You could repair my jukebox and my microwave without the slightest effort and who does not say that you can do anything else, and I know more than anyone that most people of this city it would be convenient to have someone like you at your service. You have a golden opportunity in front of your eyes Dell, do not let it pass."

"Wait. Someone like me? there is no one else?."

"Unfortunately not. All the engineers around here are very ... clumsy to say the least."

"Hmm..." dell thinks about it, "They need you." Dell thinks about it more.

If Trent puts it that way, the truth is doesn't sound like a very bad idea after all, maybe this is what he's good at, maybe he should try ... But.

"Sounds like a great idea and all trent but still there's a little problem."

"Which is?"

"The truck that I inherited from my grandfather has not yet arrived from Texas, and so I still do not have a vehicle with me to travel from here to there all the time. Besides, Sophie would not let me fill her house with boxes, parts and repair materials and I'm very sure she won't let me explain to her what happens without first making a fuss about it."

"Hmm, that would be a problem." trent walks around thinking while rubbing his chin. After a minute, the lights on his head turns on.

"I get it!." trent turns to him again "I know a small place not far from here which has been closed for a long time. You could use that place to set up a small business and establish yourself, what do you think?" That sounds good to him. Even so.

"How far is it?."

"I don't know. Um ... what street do you live on?"

"on 'turbine' avenue."

"('Sigh') that's a long way from that place." Trent mutters.

"Seriously? How far is it?" Dell asks, but Trent doesn't answer back. Trent start to walk around again as he thinks about whatever, Dell has no choice but to wait for the man to react.

"Hey dell." Trent catches his attention as he continues walking.

"Yes, tell me."

"Does your sister sophie continue to insist that you find a place to move on?."

"... well ..." now that trent mentions it and dell thinks better of it. Sophie very rarely brings that topic up in a conversation. At first he thought that sophie would have forgotten that, but apparently she still wants him to leave the house. Once he wanted to test a theory that was running through his mind, so he put it into action, joking that he had found a place and was planning to move soon.

Sophie apparently did not take it very well at first showing a small degree of sadness, but after two seconds she responded with 'it was time, I was tired of you' that gave him two conclusions.

One: sophie wants him to be with her but hates to admit it.

And two: she's just playing or more acting like a complete clown.

Anyway, "Yes, she still wants me out of her house." dell answers the question that trent asked. Trent stops walking and stops in the middle of the place, something occurred to him.

"Then just let me make a little call, it won't be long." Trent takes the public phone that is located next to the public toilets and dials a number and waits.

"Hi, are you- (...) -yes, I am aware of the time it is, I just wanted to know if you- (...) -no. Don't forget, I will return it to you so don't do dramas, ok?- (...) -Listen, I just want you to tell me if you- (...) -yes. This Sunday in the same place as always. Listen, I just want to ask you something quickly. If you let me do it, I'll leave you. it's okay?"

Dell watches with a blank expression from his seat as Trent argues with someone on the other line of the phone.  
After a few minutes, Trent hangs up the phone with a huff. He makes a quick turn in his direction with a smile on his face.

"Everything ready and arranged." Trent says out loud.

"What's ready?."

"Are you free tomorrow?."

"Em. Yes. Why?"

"Because I want you to come with me to see something." Trent says as he places his arm around dell's shoulder. Dell giggles somewhat nervously.

What the hell is he about to get into?

  
.


	9. the spaces that I will call my home and my work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discussing it, dell is ready to move out and start building his own future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really inspired in this chapter, that's why it's so long.

"So ... are you leaving?." Sophie asked dell as he placed the last box containing his belongings in the back of his red truck.

"Yes ... you know something, I think I'm going to miss this place a lot. How comfortable it is, the clean space, the fact that there are not many annoying noises in the morning around here, and how you shouting at me every day for being lazy. ahh ... yep, it's a shame I have to go but you know what life is. You take what you have and leave others behind." dell shows a mocking smile to sophie who in response places her hands on her hips avoiding taking offense.

"Don't come to get sentimental now either, that I didn't plan on wiping your diapers and keeping you forever. And don't think I'm going to miss someone like you who did nothing but walk around my house all this time doing nothing." dell laughs at that comment, Sophie breathes irritably.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go now, or are you waiting for a farewell ceremony?." Dell does its best to stop laughing.

Once he calms down, he looks at sophie for a brief moment then looks up at the house in front of him. It feels very strange to leave the site that was once your initial home and then became somewhat temporary. Anyway dell is going to miss this nice place now that he is going to move to an apartment located in the center of the city that he got thanks to the help of trent.

"Well. I guess this is goodbye, see you sophie." dell says goodbye to her shaking his hand and turns around to the truck, he was about to open the door to enter the vehicle if not for ...

"Hey short pants, wait." sophie calls him from the doorway. Dell casually turns around again, "wait there." Sophie enters the house in a hurry, dell waits patiently next to the truck wondering what this woman-girl wants now.

Sophie returns with a light blue box in her hands wrapped in a purple ribbon. "This is for you ... a-as a small gift from me, before you go ... Take it and then leave." sophie hands him the box avoiding all eye contact. It was very evident that she felt sorry, nervous and sad because he's leaving but obviously she wouldn't said that loud.

Dell feels the little gift in his hands, feels its weight as he shakes it a bit to try guess what's inside without having to open it. The box doesn't weigh much, and from the noise the interior makes he can deduce that there is more than one object inside and that they are possibly wrapped in a kind of plastic paper. Instinctively, he bring his nose closer to the box and it smells like... chocolate (his mouth water).

"Heh. This is very nice of you, you know..." Before dell could say thank you, Sophie had caught him in a sudden strong hug that made him take a few steps back. Dell was surprised by the tender gesture at first, but seconds later he returned the farewell hug with one hand as he held the box under his arm with the other.

"Take good care of yourself. Did you hear me dummy?" she says slowly and sweetly.

"Take care of yourself too, little sister." They stay like this for a long period of time, Dell is the first to get out of the hug because apparently Sophie does not plan to let him go yet. He gets into the truck, looks out the window as sophie shakes her hand saying her goodbye with a small smile, and he does the same.

He starts the engine, but before stepping on the gas, he sticks his head out the window and says "oh yeah, I almost forgot, say hi to France for me." Dell steps on the gas and the truck begins to move.

"His name is Francis!. Fool!." she yells at him from the sidewalk.

"Whatever!" Derek winks, makes a U-turn, and drives off on the highway towards downtown.

Dell turns on the radio and tunes in wherever light music is being played, the music helps him remember along the way the events that occurred in these two weeks that were quite strange to say the least.

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"So lad?, what do you say eh? It looks nice don't you think?." Dell paces the entire interior of the square that is now empty. There are cobwebs on the roofs, the dust on the ground is thick enough that one can leave a trail of footprints with every step but still.

"It looks good to me." dell says softly. He sees a brown door about to fall into a corner, He walks through it carefully. Behind the door another dark room is revealed, the switch of the ceiling lamp does not work resulting in it being very dark since it does not have any alternative window or door that allows the entry of light from outside. He can distinguish in the dark a wardrobe that, strange as it may seem, is in perfect condition despite the dirt, although that is not important.

If he brings out of his mind the deteriorated state that everything is in now, it is a very good location and is perfect for everything he has planned. In his mind he is already drawing everything he has planned for this place.

The dark room at the back can be used as a kind of storage where he will keep all kinds of parts and spare parts that are necessary and right here he can also install the workshop where he can work and place the occasional shelf with some other things, in addition to place a work table to be more comfortable with the place. On the front, he plans to replace those broken glass doors with shiny new ones. In addition to transforming it and making it look much nicer to serve customers who come in to buy his services, he also plans to sell tools, spare parts, among other useful things such as wrenches and nuts, tubes and wiring, such as a small hardware store in the middle of your workshop that can also be a small store.

That would be so perfect that he cannot contain his excitement of being able to start making everything come true as in his imagination.

"Perfect, Trent. Where do I have to sign?" Derek has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm in his system. Trent smiles seeing his friend so excited about this whole block. He gives him the contract where it says how everything are going to move.

dell watched and read the contract very carefully and with a smile painted on his face that slowly descended ... and it was at that very moment when dell's hopes exploded and died instantly like a balloon. He does not understand why this beggar place costs so much, if it is very simple.

"Trent ... I can't pay for this. The price has skyrocketed, don't you think they are exaggerating a bit?" Dell says with a huge degree of frustration in his voice.

"If you have problems with that. I can help you, I have no problem with that you know." He mentions as if there is no problem.

"Seriously? I mean, no! I can't accept that, I appreciate your kindness. But I can't, it's a lot and..." Trent silences him placing his hand on his shoulder and slaps him.

"Lad, take it easy, when I say that there is no problem, it is because there is no problem. Trust me. I know that this project of yours is going to be very successful, you should believe in that too." dell internally thanks for how kind is being trent with him

"thanks trent." He says with a small smile on his face.

"No problem. And if money is what worries you. Do not make drama because you can pay me once you have settled, yes?"

Once everything is fixed. Trent and dell leave the place and get into the car that belongs to trent and return home.

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Dell continues to drive his blood red truck down the street as the song on the radio changes and the one it's playing now reminds him of what happened after he bought that place.

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It takes a long time to clean, make repairs, and install everything in its place. But with Trent help, he was very helpful in most of the times, except in those where he had no idea what to do and he had to tell him step by step what he had to do or where to place what he had in his hands.

Once everything was finished and everything is like in the photo on his mind, he was more than happy for all that he was barely able to contain a cry of joy. The only thing left was to paint the place which is the worst part of all since he hates painting, but trent interfered with it taking his cell phone calling someone, who according to him, the one who he was calling says with great security is very good when it comes to painting.

Derek did not have time to say that it was not necessary to do that about it but it was too late so he has no choice but to continue with Trent's plan.

The two waited standing outside the entrance of the place for the person, who trent called, to arrive. In half an hour or so a person appeared that he could not say with security if it is a man or a woman because he had most of his face covered with that hood of the orange coat he was wearing along with that red scarf covering the lower part of his face and he brings with him a red wheeled cart where he carried a couple of buckets with different type and colors of paints along with a set of different brushes.

To the naked eye of him this ... person looks not too reliable, but Trent had previously assured him that everything is under control.

Trent is talking with that person as he watches them from a distance. Dell has its suspicions and many doubts about it if said person could become someone you trust ...

"Mrph mrph mrrrph?"

All his focus towards who knows where disappear when he notice how that guy, who is a foot taller than him, is in front of him and has just murmured something under that scarf that covered his mouth but he did not pay enough attention to be able to understand what he said. 

(Did he ask me a question?), "Ah ... ah, I ..." Dell is very nervous that his hands are shaking when trying to see his face. Because the place is not very well lit he can only see a black hole underneath that orange hood next to two eyes that stare at him.

"Mrph mrph mrrrph?." the guy repeats a little louder this time and starts to move his hands in a very strange way, he doesn't understand what he's doing and much less understood what he said And he doesn't know what to answer or ask about it, he decides not to do any of those.

"He just asked you 'what color would you like me to use for your walls'." luckily trent was there.

"Did you really do that?." The orange guy nods vigorously and eager to start painting.

"I ... err ..." Dell thinks and thinks but nothing comes to mind about what color would you like to see or what to use for the walls of the place and that they look good. He is looking for something simple and bright but not very striking, but he would not know how to ask for it, especially to the subject who has just asked the question in a very strange way.

"Well, I don't know for sure." Dell quietly admits.

"Take your time." Trent says and the guy next to him nods.

Dell takes the time to ask the question  
"Hmm ... do you think you could make this place look like a small workshop and a store at the same time but that it is not very ... strange? And also that when people see it they know what it is?"

The guy flexes his fingers and takes a brush. "Mrph mrph!." And with that, said?, he begins to remove the top cap of some buckets contained the paint ready to start.

"What was he say?" Dell whispered into trent's ear.

"He said he will take care of that and don't worry." Trent responds with a smile on his face and crossed arms. "Would you like to go eat something, I'm starving." trent offers and Dell accepts the offer, he also has got hungry after so much work.

The two went to a small hot dog stand not far from the area, trent pay for both along with a soda for himself. They both walk around while eating the hot dogs. Dell can't help but worry about who stayed in his future store

"... Trent, are you sure about this?" Dell suddenly asks, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"Err ... I don't want to be rude or judge anyone but ... I don't feel very comfortable you know."

"Are you saying that just because of the look of the one who is painting your future store now?" Trent asks and dell nods slowly looking down, he doesn't feel very good when it comes to those things about prejudging people without first knowing them, but he has his own reasons for doing so.

Out of nowhere, Trent starts laughing non-stop at too loud a volume. Dell has a blank expression and asks himself what is so funny or what he said to cause for him to laugh.

Trent calms down after a few necessary breaths, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yes. Yes. That always happens to him at first. But don't worry. He's a good boy, and he also always surprises people by doing a very good job. you just stay cool."

"If you say so."

They continue walking slowly on their way back until suddenly Trent's phone starts ringing. They both stop, With a sigh trent answers the call.

"Who is it? (...) oh hi j ... (...) that you need my help for what? (...) seriously? Again? (...) listen I'm a little busy right now. you just can't handle with (...) ...agh... (...) alright, alright I'm coming, you heard idiot?, I'm coming, don't despair, wait for me I'm on my way." (He immediately hangs up the call and returns his phone to his pocket.) "Sorry, Dell. But It presented something 'urgent' and I have to go now." Trent says and begins to walk away on the opposite side of the street.

"... Wait trent, but what about ..." dell reacts a little late to the situation that he cannot reach trent who was already far away now that he was making a quick walk towards who knows where, the call must be very urgent.

"You'll be fine!." Trent yells at him from a distance as he continues on his way.

Dell's jaw dropped when he saw how the whole place looked. He just can't believe how great everything was in just a few hours.

Everything is better than he could have ever imagined. Inside, the lower part (from the bottom to the bottom) is all covered in a blue that looks great, while in the upper part including the ceiling, white was used, which is more than perfect, the workshop that is in the The back is painted brown, which is not pretty but it looks great in the room, and last and most importantly, the entrance is a somewhat bright yellow. Not to mention that little drawing of a engineer who is wearing a yellow builder's helmet and blue jacket and maybe something chubby, cartoonistically placed in the middle of the window and that he himself must admit that draw looks adorable and is also fine as a decorative in the window.

"I ... I don't know what to say." dell can't stop looking around. Everything is so perfect and well done, without any badly painted edges and no stains on the floor and no mistakes. Everything is almost as he imagined to be, even better than he had ever wish.

The guy seems happy or at least is what he can deduce from the gestures he is making. He can't guess what kind of expression he makes under that hood and scarf.

"I really appreciate it. I don't know what happened or how you did it, but I'm serious when i said thay you did it wonderfully. Thank you."

"Mrph mrph." the guy 'mumbles' very flattered.

"Oh right and now how much do I owe you for your help?" The guy shakes his hands and mumbles something And dell could understand something of that, he thinks he said something about that it is not necessary to paid him or something. he would not like to appear rude or seem ignorant ungrateful for asking what he said, So. "Oh. Em ... okay. Are you sure about that? I don't want it to seem like ... I'm ungrateful to you or anything like that you know." dell says taking out his wallet from his back pocket.

But the guy still insists that he's fine, that he has no problem with that.

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Dell stops the truck next to the small hotel he had just arrive to and it where he is now going to live. He moved to this hotel only because Trent had told him that the house of his dead parents, and it now belongs to Sophie, it was too far from his store, and he was right on that when he check it. Dell, while lowering the last boxes that contained his last object he brought from his old house. He remembers how it was when Trent had accompanied him to see and check how the apartments were to see if it was worth moving here or not.

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"This is the place?." Dell asks as he looks up at the not-so-great apartments that Trent had previously exaggerated it would be.

"Yes it is. You'll like it when you see it." Trent responds in an enthusiastic tone and not just referring to the hotel.

They enter together and Trent is leading him towards where they are supposed to go, up the stairs to the second floor. Trent knocks on the door with number 14, but no one answered.

"Mhe ... must have gone out." without saying anything trent opens the door with a key that he had with him. "Enters." trent commands.

Dell feels something strange on his back when he enters this apartment which he thought would be empty, but it was not that way. the place is well kept and decorated. the living room and dining room were the same place, it was big enough. In the right side have a wide black sofa with some cushions next to the entrance, there was a smaller colored armchair and in which only one person could fit there, two if is that the second one does not mind sitting on the armrest, a television was on top of a piece of furniture with several sideboards that contained some useful things or for the necessary occasions, a small glass table was in the middle of the sofa and the TV. And in the left side of the room there was the black table and is in front of the kitchen that was not very large, it could only fit a person or two if they are of average size, on the table is a small basket with fresh and clean fruits, next to the table There is a sliding glass door that leads to the balcony where there were the odd flowerpot with beautiful plants.

And speaking of decoration, a few very nice paintings are hanging on the walls. Some are abstract drawings and others are beautiful landscapes, but there is one that is in the middle of the room that stands out from the rest.

"If you're done watching, I'll show you the place." Trent says as he takes an apple from the basket on the table.

There is a medium long wide corridor in the middle of the main room and he can see four doors, two doors on each side, trent opens the first one and shows him that it is the bathroom that is very white, tidy and cleaned.

the front door of the bathroom is a kind of art room, there are buckets of paint next to the wall, a bunch of various types of brushes and brushes, along with a bench and a small table with a pair of blank sheets in the middle.

At the end of the corridor there was the other two doors left, the one on the right trent warns him that it is not a good idea to enter inside so this one he does not open it, instead he opens the one on the left that is empty, only some other cardboard boxes here and there but nothing to highlight.

Dell slowly enters the room, it is very large and very spacious even for him, it is even bigger than the room he has in his sister's house, it may fit most of his things if he arranges them well, the wardrobe seems like a tiny room that it contains sliding doors in addition to that inside has hooks and several sideboards and best of all is that it does not take up space in the room since it seems to be inside the wall next to the door.

Dell has finished taking a look around the entire place, trent was waiting for him sitting on the couch eating another fruit.

"You finished?".

"Yes. Finish."

"All right."

"This ... trent?"

"What's wrong?"

"Do you live here, or...?"

"No. I don't live here. I have my own house with my wife and daughter. Well, sometimes I come here until the storm passes and it calms down inside my house, if you know what I mean by that." Trent winks.

"Wait! ... You don't live here !? Then who is the one ... aahh!"

"Hmhp?"

Dell jumps forward from the scare that came from the person he didn't know was behind him and just touched his back.

"Oh there you are." Trent says hello to the person "I called you this morning but you did not answer me, so I came directly here."

Dell, who stands behind Trent, watch how the person who is standing in the middle of the room begins to move and shake his hands making very strange signs and gestures that he cannot guess or even understand them, what does he do???

After that Dell sees how trent approaches the guy and gives him a hug and turns to him again.

"Dell I want to introduce you to my friend Red, do you remember him? It's the same one who painted your store."

(...what?, But if it does not seem like the same person of the other day.) Dell can not stop seeing that bald head along with that pale face that is full of scars and some burns all over his face, when seeing his facial features, dell felt a bad roll in the back, he would not like to imagine what problems this person has go into that his face has ended like that.

Besides it seems that he is much younger than him, much younger, Dell manages to recognize that orange jacket along with the colorful scarf on his neck only that now he was not wearing the hood over his head and he can see his face, but dell wants him to wear it Now, put on by how scary he looks.

"Dell." trent's voice makes him look away that he was focused on those scars that he couldn't stop seeing the guy's face so much.

The guy was extending his hand towards him as if waiting for him to shake his hand together with a friendly smile. Hesitatingly he takes that hand with even more burn scars and returns the greeting.

"H-hi ... my name is dell conagher, n-n-nice to meet you." He gulp a thick lie of spit in his mouth. 

The guy nodded in agreement.

"Well since you met, how about if we now-" Trent was talking but his phone suddenly started ringing, cutting off what he was going to say, "Give me a second." He answers the call.

"Who is it? (...) oh hi ja... (...) excuse me, what? (...) again? (...) But what you had not solved that already? (...) (trent huffed impatiently) alright, empty head, I'm going there, wait a moment." He hangs up, "Red I have to go, do you think you could cheer him up a little bit here to make him feel more comfortable?." Red gives him a thumbs up.

Once trent leaves the room, red takes dell's hand and gives him a personal tour for all the place himself, although he had seen it all once before although he doesn't say anything about it in case of doubt.

Throughout the tour, the guy who according to trent, called himself "Red", pointed to every corner while at the same time making very strange gestures with his hands very quickly with a clear gesture of excitement on his face. He seemed to be a very happy and energetic guy, pointing to himself, then to him and himself again.

But ... he never speaks. dell wonders internally why he does not speak to him, with trent he seems to speak, even a little but he speaks. Could it be that he don't trust him or something? Is he afraid of him? same as himself? Or what could it be?.

The tour ends in the empty room where red seems very excited about dell at that point. Dell decides it is best to interrupt what him are doing for an important reason.

"H-hey buddy." Red stops what he was doing and gives him his full attention, "err ... I don't want to sound like someone bad to you and nothing like that ... but ... Why don't you talk? And why do you move your hands that way so Weird? Is something wrong with you?." Dell asked him in the most subtle way he could, but now that he thinks about it the question he asked sounded very strange and rude.

Red covers his face and makes a sound that could be considered a chuckle. Red gestures to dell to make him follow him into the living room, being there he pulls out a small notepad from a drawer next to the television. Red writes quickly on a piece of paper and shows it to read.

'be sincere. You don't understand what I'm doing, do you?.' dell stares at Red for a moment, he seems to be waiting for a answer to the question he just wrote to him in the paper.

"Err ... no. I don't understand what that is." dell responds by looking down feeling somewhat silly. He receives another piece of paper from Red. Dell reads it aloud 'Okay. Nothing happens if you don't understand or know what is the sign language, not everyone knows or understand a lot about it.'

Sign language?. oh ... so what he has been doing all this time with his hands was sign language? Dell had heard of that once a long time ago but he could never see a visual demonstration of what the hell it was or what they meant by that. But now that he could see what it is now, everything makes a lot of sense, even if he doesn't understand it. so there may be a problem in the future about it.

But red assure him that there is no problem with that, he will think of a way to manage for both of us when he moved to this place with him, Dell thanks him for his kindness.

A few days passed in which dell was living with red and to have a terrifying appearance, Red is not as bad person as he looks like, in fact, he was very good and attentive to him, although his character is somewhat childish.

Once, Dell came to visit Red and he was wearing a pink unicorn pajamas, which made him ask many more questions in his mind regarding Red, but he repeats himself many times that it is better not to open his mouth to respect so not being a big rude fool. Once Red took Dell to where the room with the paint is and ask him if he wanted to paint with him a little to hang out.

dell accepted, although he did not know how to paint "masterpieces" very well saying the lest, the painting only resulted in a lot of colored lines that formed a very deformed pair of squares. instead red painted the two of them, him and dell, holding hands surrounded by a heart.

Dell seeing that painting felt a little ... a little awkward to be exact. Dell quickly clarifies that he is not interested at the moment in being in that kind of ... relationship with him or someone else.

Red leaves the brush on the table, the smile he had on his face turned into a serious gesture placing his hands on his hips. Dell takes a step back at that sudden signal from Red.  
Red hands him a note saying not to misunderstand things, that he only considers him a friend and nothing else.

After reading the note, dell's face turns red as tomato from embarrassment.

But before all the things that happened and the momentary oddities. They both got along very well. And in less than a week they became good friends and he learned a few things about Red that he did not know so far, Red likes to paint a lot, works painting houses, walls, among other things, He likes sweets, both candy and dessert, and for some reason he likes to monopolize with the fire a lot, and also that he seems to like the color pink and orange, he never takes off that scarf that he has on his neck but for the doubts and the best he doesn't ask him why of that. He does not want to humiliate himself more than he had already done with his new friend.

Sometimes trent comes to talk with the duo from time to time but he leaves in an hour or two because sometimes his wife calls him to go back home or sometimes is someone that dell does not know but apparently said person is trent's friend too, he could only hear his thick and demanding voice when he is yelling at trent over the loudspeaker.

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Dell get to the second floor with the box in his hands, he knocks on the door and waits for it to be opened.

It is heard from inside how someone ran towards the door in the middle of little jumps, red opens the door, receives dell with a big smile and a hug unable to contain his joy. He could guess why he is so excited.

After a moment, dell breaks the hug because it seemed like it had become too long, "I'm also glad to see you Red." He says as he places the box he brought on the sofa. Red abandons him and runs to the kitchen, returning a few seconds later with a cake in his hands and on the top has 'welcome' written in pink icing.

Dell smirks at Red's welcome gift, he can't wait to give it a try, but first.

"Thanks buddy, will you help me get the last boxes left in my truck? I would really appreciate it." Red nods and after leaving the cake on the table begins to follow him downstairs to his truck.

Along with the help of Red who helped him accommodate all the remaining items, in their respective locations, in the empty room that now is no longer empty and he transformed into his new room. His bed was located next to the wall with the window over it, a nightstand was next to the bed and over it was a tiny lamp and an alarm clock, he had placed a desk where on top of it he placed some personal and temporary objects, to one side A blue rotary chair was also brought, at the edge of the same bed there was a cabinet with several drawers where he kept socks, his underwear, among other clothes and maybe something else, in the wardrobe he did not put many clothes since he does not have a large set of clothes to put on, he only has three pairs of shirts and three pants of different colors along with three sets of shoes to his size, it is a shame but he could also use the empty spaces to place other objects in addition to clothes, maybe he should buy more clothes for himself but at the moment those he have are more than enough and is fine for himself.

Now that it is finally installed, he decides to take a relaxing bath and before going to sleep he decided to try a piece of that delicious cake. With a full stomach and a happy heart he goes to sleep, but his mind does not stop playing with what will happen tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be the first day that he will open his workshop for the first time and he is so excited that he cannot remove the expression from his face and sleep once for all.

.


	10. this is my job, my passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dell officially opens his workshop for the people and he is arming his own line in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note to my kind readers: 
> 
> Thank you all for stop by and read this piece of garbage i dare to call fic,.
> 
> also i made me a tumblr account for no specific reason where i don't submit absolutely nothing... yet.
> 
> And last, i started working in my others fic where i left them in the nothing literally, but that means it also left me with no much time for make work and it means no many updates soon. So much to do and no much time.
> 
> Anyways i hope you hope this chapter so far. Until then.

The alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed said 6:59 a.m. and at exactly 7 a.m, the annoying alarm started ringing, over and over.

Stretching his arm out of bed, dell turns off the alarm and turns around again to go back to sleep for a little longer. But at that same moment he remembers that today is the great day, today is the day that he will start working in his new workshop that during all this time he has been working and putting together pieces by piece. and thanks to the help of Trent and Red, everything is ready and prepared for this day, it only remains to open it for the people.

Jumping out of bed, he dressed in his typical clothes of every day that are his favorite and got a taste for the simplicity of the outfit. He brushed his teeth and went to the living room and saw how red placing two cups of coffee with some toast with honey on the table.

Dell thanks his kindness for making breakfast and being awake at the best possible time. While they both enjoy breakfast, dell tells Red all his plans for today, Red listens to his new friend carefully and with great interest without overlooking a single word because it is very interesting to know that his friend can be that kind of mechanic capable of repairing whatever. or at least that was what Trent had told him about him, but at least now he can hear it from him himself and is more credible than the words that came from Trent mouth that were too exaggerated almost all the time.

After finishing breakfast dell says goodbye to Red and leaves the apartment, goes down the stairs at a rapid pace, goes out into the street and looks up at the sky covering his face from the sun with his hand, there is not a single cloud in heaven and it seems that today will be a warm day.

With a smile and a nod to himself, he starts walking at a fast pace towards the center where his store is waiting to be opened to the world.

Dell walked happily through the streets. greeting and wishing good morning to anyone who crossed his path, shaking his hands in the air or saying a 'good morning' to people.

People saw how that man who was new on the city, or at least that was what they thought since they had not seen him in these routes, as he was happily walking down the street greeting those he met, Some of the persons he mets return the greeting, others nod or simply ignore him. After a fifteen minute walk, Dell finally arrives in front of the closed blinds where his so-called "conagher's workshop-store" is located.

On the reinforced glass door, Dell spins the sign that says "closed" to "open." Officially his workshop is with the doors open for the public and he is ready to attend and help any client who enters through these doors. Now all what left is to sit behind these counters and wait for the first customer.

The seconds pass very slowly that seemed like minutes. Dell has no idea for how long he's been looking at the clock on the wall, ten minutes, fifteen maybe, half an hour? To avoid thinking about it, Dell takes one of the four books he has in his small library and begins to read it to entertain himself until something interesting happens.

Dell was so focused on his book that he hadn't realized that there was a woman standing in front of him trying to get his attention by ringing the bell on the counter.

"Ahem." she cough against her fist. Dell looks up, taking his eyes off the book to see who was calling him.

"Hello sir, is this the right place which my husband has spoken to me so much about?" The woman asks him.

"Err ... I don't know, maybe, what did your husband tell you, madam?" He asks her.

"My husband has told me about a new place where a very intelligent man works in. and, according to him, he is able to fix anything. I did not believe him when he told me that, but he insisted so much that I come to see him and well. here I'm." she explains without getting stuck.

Dell thinks for a moment about the woman's husband in front of him. from the way she described him, he could imagine who that person was. if his suspicions are correct, dell can say that this woman is the wife of trent that he likes to talk about a lot and many times using jokes referring to her, Samantha if he not mistaken her name is. Rubbing his chin, dell scans the woman in front of him from top to bottom, she is very pretty.

After a puff she continues explaining. "Anyway, I bring you this broken toaster, if what my husband say that you can fix anything is true, you would be doing me a great favor." She hands him a pale white toaster in a wicker bag.

Dell takes the bag in his hands, and with a friendly smile "don't worry ma'am, I'm going to see what's wrong with this thing here and you will see that your husband has not lied to you."

"I hope so, because otherwise that lying vermin will have a little word with me when he returns home."

"It's going to take a while to fix it, you can walk around the neighborhood if you like in the meantime." dell recommends her while he check the object in his hand.

The woman returns to the store after going to buy some groceries at the market that was located across the street. She walks in casually and with the anticipation that her toaster would still be in the same broken state she left it or even worse, anyway, whatever state she receives the toaster, she is not going to say anything about it because she not expect anything at all.

she does not see the guy who attended him when she arrived, hesitantly she rings the bell. "One moment please." She heard the man voice from the back part of the store. She waits without any rush for the man to get out of there.

Dell emerges from the back of the store with the toaster in hand and places it on the table smiling that was showing his own teeth. She examines the toaster in her hands, to her eyes it doesn't seem that he had done anything to it, it looks the same as she had left it before. "Does this ... work now?." She asks with the least interest.

"Tell me yourself." dell connects the toaster to the cord extension and hands her a slice of bread. She looks at dell for a few seconds doubting his word, but when dell pointed at it saying 'go ahead' she placed the slice of bread in one of the slots, pressed the power button and stepped back in case something exploded like It had happened once before.

The explosion never happened, instead the typical 'bling' was heard and same sound made Samantha jump fearing the worst, said sound announced that the bread is ready to eat. Dell took the bread in his hands and handed it to her to taste.

Samantha feels the piece of bread in her hands and she is very amazed to feel that the bread is hot and burning as one would expect it to be, "This is impossible," she says as she chews the toast. Dell smiles at that reaction. "What did you do?"

"Nothing especially ma'am, I just did my job." He answers her very innocently.

"Mh. So those weren't lies after all." She says trying to hide how happy she is the best she can. Samantha pays for his services and thanks dell for the great job. Before leaving, she assures him that she will tell his friends about him and his store and it is not a surprise for him that them have the same problems but with different electronic devices.

dell's ego grows a little when he sees his first client very satisfied with his work and when the woman leave the store, a man came in with a wall clock in his arms asking to be repaired.

After him another man came in with a stereo in his arms, after that one came in, another woman enter with a mini fridge, then another man with a copier. and to his surprise they all came with the same anecdote that an acquaintance had told them about him and his abilities repairing anything.

The first day turned to be better than he had expected.

The next day more people came to his workshop and were more than the first day asking for his excellent services.

Word had spread quickly in the city, about how someone had just moved in the center of the city and how he has the ability to repair whatever comes to him faster than one might think.

the next day even more came and the one following that. The work that had been entrusted to him grew and grew with each passing day but he was still very flattered to see that he is good for something after all, and it was very satisfying to see how the people leave the store with a happy face along with what they brought between their hands and how said object that he just repaire are working once again.

In less than a month he had earned a reputation from the clientele. People who saw him walking called him a "repairman" or "super engineer". And even though it sounds a little weird, he likes it a little. His workshop was prospering by leaps and bounds and he had no way or words of expressing what he now feels. This was a good idea after all, he had to admit that. The only bad thing about all this is that some clients, mostly women who chatted "amicably" and sometimes they dare to flirt with him.

dell is not very good conversing with other people especially with people who try to insinuate something in that way, it is not that he does not want to do it or even share a word, but it's just that he doesn't know what to say or do so that the conversation in which it is taking place does not become boring, uninteresting, or ends in nothing more than a simple nod to the other person followed by an awkward silence, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth at the end, ignoring all that, everything went very well.

One day, on a Tuesday afternoon, dell was working as usual in his workshop, fixing a mini projector. When the bell he put in the door was heard that announcing when someone had just entered the store. "One moment, please." dell announces as he leaves the screwdriver he was holding, takes a handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes the dirt off his hands and dries the sweat from his forehead and prepares to receive the client who has just entered by those doors.

Who was there are an old woman, standing in front of the counter and carrying with her a red cart in which on it were two electric ovens and a mixer.

Before the lady could say anything, Dell welcomes the woman. "Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I help you today."

She smiles at the kindness that the young man presents when receiving her. "Good afternoon, young man, I wanted to know if you could repair these old ovens here because, you see, my friends over there in the asylum like to cook a lot, but unfortunately we cannot pay for a new oven every season and nobody would like to miss the little competition between susie and carmen so we can see who is the one who can cook the best desserts in the whole place."

Dell lets out a little whistle of amazement upon hearing that as he examines the two ovens in front of him "that sound very interesting? And how is that? Could you tell me please?."

"Of course young man." The lady licks her lips ready to begin with her story of how that competition issue began in the retirement home, Dell was very intrigued by what she is about to tell him.

It turned out that everything had started a couple of years ago when one of Gladiz's friends, that's what the lady who is talking to him right now is called, had a little dispute with her other partner about being better than her In the kitchen, the commotion between the two was stopped when a third person got in arguing that she was much better than the two together until a fourth got in and then a fifth, in that way the commotion grew until Gladiz finally intervened and put a stop to that.

She thought that the only way to put an end to that was by organizing a small contest to see who was the best cook among all, the judges were Gladiz, Roderick and Valentino who were two grumpy old men who were brothers and who fought for all there in the retirement home.

At a certain point in the story dell offers her a seat next to a cup of tea inside the workshop, so while he works he can still listen to how the story unfolds, She thanks him for his kindness and accepts the said offer. Once she was comfortable and with a cup of an exquisite tea she continued with the rest of her story.

In the middle of the competition, Roderick and Valentino, when trying the different dishes, got more than one smile on them, ending up fighting once more asking for a second portion from the participants. Once the best dessert competition was over, the three judges chose their favorite and the best of all.

Unfortunately things would not end there because a new conflict arose between the participants, asking for a new cooking contest, only this time it is for the best dinner instead of dessert. And so it went on and on, week after week, between contest and contest on food among the members of the retirement home. sometimes a new competitor or a new judge would join, because competing in that way if it encouraged the old people to do something new in that place, and even more family visits came for those events and tried the delicacies that prepare the sweet old ladies.

But then the Grayson company catastrophe occurred and the food contests had to be stopped in the retirement home because most of the ovens and electronic utensils have completely broken down and would not work again being completely useless after then, and the only person which they could go for help that they knew and was very reliable and able to get them out of that situation at that time was no longer among the living world anymore. The building had lost the spark of joy that the old people had in the place and became very depressing.

This was until the news reached they ears. The news of a man capable of repairing anything had recently moved to the city and the competitive hope once again returned to the building.

Gladiz during all this time has been staring at dell, it is as if something in him was very familiar to her, as if she has seen him before or something like that but she is not quite sure about it yet.

Dell listened to gladiz's stories without interrupting her for a single second as he worked on a chicken-shaped clock. It is good to know that the older people in the retirement home know ideas of how to have fun and a good time, even that they were also encouraged to create competitions to entertain themselves at higher levels even at their age.

"Wow you guys know how to have fun, hm?" Dell says as he places everything in his toolbox on the floor. The story had been very long and entertaining that he had not realized what time it was and it was almost time to close the store. But at least he had finished repairing what he had been ordered all this week, except for the two ovens and the mixer that gladiz had delivered, it would be a real shame not to have been able to fix them to this kind lady who he just met, but he promised to Gladiz that on his day off he will deliver it to her without exception at the retirement home himself.

"I thank you so much young man. I wonder where all the people as kind as you have gone." she says and dell giggles a little.

"I don't know for sure. But I would never let a woman like you carry something as hard as this for herself." dell responds to her with a smile from ear to ear.

Gladys gasped as memories invaded her head. Gladys remembers that a long time ago she had met a sweet boy who was always accompanied by his father and was just as kind as the one in front of her now.

"Tell me young man, is your name perhaps. Dell conagher?" She asks very confidently in her words.

"Ah ... Yes, it is. How do you know?"

"Oh my! I had a feeling I knew you. I knew it was you sweetie. You are even cuter than you were before." Gladiz says squeezing dell's left cheek playfully while laughing softly.

Dell wouldn't like to sound or be rude to an older lady, but this situation is getting a little weird. Slipping her hands away from his face, he speaks, "Madam, you would be so kind to explain me what is going on because I am not understanding."

"Oh it's true. Where are my manners. But even less i don't blame you for not remembering this old lady very well after so long. But why am I making it so long? Ahem ... many years ago, you and your father used to come to my house to visit me while we had some tea with some cookies, the ones that had chocolate chips were always your favorite darling, I remember how you were able to finish a whole plate of themby yourself."

dell tries to remember what gladiz was saying, and apparently she has some reason in what saying and he manages to remember a little of that. When he was still a small child, he liked to accompany his father to spend his afternoons with a kind lady who offered him sweets and kept him company.

"Excuse me gladiz but my memory to remember those days works as well as a shape rock." Dell jokes and gladiz chuckles.

"At least it's good to know that you're still the same good-mannered, cute and tender boy with the ladies as you were a long time ago."

"Ahh shucks, please. I'm not cute." dell blush a little at that.

"Well darling, I have to go now. It was a real pleasure to seen you again after so long time, I would like to see ypu again so we can continue talking, when you have free time if you like, I imagine that your work should be very tiring those days."

"I would like that too." He responds kindly as he places each of the fixed objects on the shelves so that tomorrow he will not lose much time in finding them for their respective owners.

"I appreciate it so much boy, you're just as smart and good at it as your father was back then."

"I think so."

"Well ... it was a really pleasure, you should stop by the retirement home to visit us if you have time, boy. So I can introduce you to the other girls." Dell chuckled.

"When I can, I'll take a walk around that place." He assures before saying goodbye to gladiz.

Dell was ordering everything in one box before closing the store. He sighs with happiness, he never thought that his little project has gone more than well in this last short period of time that happened in the blink of an eye, everything went so well that he even began to think that all this was just a dream.

Dell laughs at himself for thinking such things.

"Hey lad, how's my dell doing today?." Dell smiles when he sees his friend Trent enter the store.

"What can I tell you trent. As always, everything is fine for now."

"That's the way it is spoken, lad, keep that good spirit all the time and who knows, maybe you will be able to fishing a very good customer and they fall into your trap. If you know what I mean by that." Trent smiles in a not very friendly way winking a few times.

"... and now what are you implying?"

"You know what I mean by that, heheh." Dell watches him for a while tilting his head without knowing what to do or respond to whatever trent is talking about. Trent raises both eyebrows as he shoots a winking glance further to emphasize something, and with that last gesture he quite well understands what he means by "fishing a customer." And right away he took a step back saying a great, no.

"Ha? Why not?"

"It's just that I'm ... I just don't have time for that kind of thing, that's the point. And it's over." Dell ends the topic instantly knowing he sound a little rough but that's the least of it, he doesn't like to talk about getting someone with THAT kind of interest because those kind of conversation gives him a bad feeling on his back and makes him remember bad memories.

"Ok ... but it was not necessary to get like this man, with a simple, no, it was enough for me." Trent raises his hands in defeat. 

Dell finishes tidying things up instead, reluctantly apologizing to trent for responding that way.

Dell closes the store and keeps the key in his back pocket, he sighs a little tired from working and starts walking towards his apartment to rest a little, but without realizing that trent was walking beside him. He only realized that when he broke the silent walk.

"Are you free this weekend dell?"

"AH! What the hell man!? shit, don't scare me like that." Dell punch him on his arm.

"... Ok ...? As I was saying, my friends and I have planned to meet this weekend, we do it every week and it is always rotating on the house of who we are going to meet next week, this weekend was supposed to be in my house, but my wife started by saying that this weekend she did not want tenants since she has things to do, so it will be in my bar. What do you think eh? I told my friends a lot about you and they are dying to meet you too." Trent proposes with a smile on his face that said he could have a lot of fun.

Dell thinks about that proposal for a moment, it does not sound bad to leave the work area for a while to 'have fun' a little. But knowing trent and the place where they are going to be very well, makes him a bit doubtful about it if he should go.

He will keep in mind that there will be beer who the friends of Trent will drink and that he does not know yet and possibly things will get a little out of control.

"I'm not really sure if I can go this weekend. I just have this thing to do, and then that other one, plus I also have to ..."

"Wow... such a good lier i have in front of me, you should win a trophy, hahah, Bullshit. You don't have to come up with those cheap excuses of yours, you know." Trent says sarcastically.

"Oops. Hehe. You got me," he laugh nervously, "-Trent. I appreciate the invitation, but ..." He was about to say something half important, but Trent interrupts him. "... you have worked too much and relentlessly throughout this month and a few whole weeks. I think you could use a break, even if it's just one night, come with me to have a nice time, interacting with other real people who these are not just your little toys which you spend all day with. Besides, as I said, I could introduce you to colleagues who i talk a lot about you and they are dying to meet you too. " Trent says with a small degree of excitement in his tone of voice.

"You already told me that, you know? I mean ... trent, but I'm just not very good at ... chatting with other people as long as it's not about work." Dell admits staring at the ground playing with his hands.

"That is nothing. If you need help with that I will be there to give you a hand, plus, my colleagues are not such bad people, sure, they have the odd characteristic flaw. But they are still good people, believe me."

Dell thinks about it.

"You will have a lot of fun." Trent insists

Dell thinks about it more.

"And my friends are dying to meet you and know about you since I talk about you a lot and they would like to see you in person." Trent continues to insist.

Dell thinks about it even more. Trent was about to say something else but he interrupts him this time. "If I say 'yes' you will stop insisting that much?." Trent nods, "Alright," he sighs in defeat. "I'm going to that meeting of yours with your friends, though, I still think it might not be a good idea. I mean, I wouldn't like to bother anyone." He responds with some insecurity even.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. And if you do get stuck in an awkward situation, just lie down on the ground and avoid eye contact." Trent laughs at his own "joke" Dell steps back not knowing if he should laugh or not, so he doesn't do either.

"Well. I leave you, I have to go now. I was supposed to have gone to the market to buy dinner for tonight and I should have been at my house by now, but I thought it would be better to stop by and deliver the invitation first. My head will blame me for that later but rest assured it was worth it." Trent assures him with a smile.

"...Unnecessary data noted."

They both say goodbye to each other walking their respective ways. Trent was heading for the nearest market at full speed, while dell was heading for his apartment.

Red receives dell once he enters the apartment as always, with a hug. Dell at first this innocent act took him by surprise, but now it is no surprising at all that Red approached him from wherever he is to give him a deserved hug. Red gives dell a note saying, what would you like him to prepare for dinner?

"I appreciate it red, but I think I won't eat anything today." Red hands him another note,

("Is something wrong?") said this.

"No Red, everything is fine, today I think the only thing I want is ... go to rest in my bed until tomorrow. Today has been a very long day, you know?" Dell says a little tired.

("oh, ok, rest well then, until tomorrow".).

"Until tomorrow, Red. Don't stay up too late, okay?."

.


	11. That was.... something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a kind day of Friday, dell meet someone very interesting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now, what many have (probably) been waiting for. how they met, how it started.

It was a beautiful quiet Friday afternoon, birds are singing, kids are leaving the schools and heading home to start their weekend, some mothers and fathers are walking in the park with their children, the couples are walking together holding hands, the older people were sitting on the benches by the small lake feeding the ducks they are around and get closer to where are throwing some bread in order to catch something with their beaks. days like these are perfect for one to stay at home and not move a single finger.

Dell, on the other hand, is not that kind of people, he likes to work on sunny, calm, rainy or snowy days (if obviously was winter).

None of these things is going to prevent or stop him from showing up in his job, which he likes to attend a lot, he has a lot of passion when it comes to work, there is no doubt about it.

During work hours, dell learned a couple of useful skills, if they ask him. as much for his own work as socializing with other people. Dell had become someone very skilled with what he does and sincerely surprised himself as well.

Now he is sitting in front of the counter of his store waiting for the next client that sooner or later would enter through that door since he had nothing else to do because he had already finished each one of the errands on his work list, Now he just have to wait for the next one.

Dell takes in his hands the small box that he had placed and leave next to the cash register where he has a photo of his favorite old man. dell always looks at this photo, remembering the good times he spent together with his grandfather and in which his old man taught him everything he knew now about machines in his garage and he was very fascinated by learning these things among the odd comic stories that He counted, now he can apply everything he has learned in those moments in his life.

Mentally thanking the old man in the photo, he leaves it back in its resting place.

Now speaking of communication skills. He has progressed quite a bit on that subject compared to how he was before. At first Dell was unable to start, continue or end a conversation, resulting in him making a ridiculous barbarian.

But now ... Well, now he is able to carry on a simple conversation, at least, as long as the other person only asks about work, logical things or if he just starts talking about his day. dell does not mind in the least, in more, he likes to lend his ear in those conversations he has with his own clients, he likes to listen to what they have to say about the story behind what happened to the objects that they bring with them, each stories is different in its due aspect, sometimes they are funny, strange, not very credible or they just don't talk about it.

Everything is always fine for him, but when the client (mostly women) begin to insinuate something by asking dell personal life and rutines as if he is single and others. Those questions make him very uncomfortable and nervous.

dell would not like to talk about relationships for the moment or be involved in that kind of topic, he just wants to work for now. He only talks about more issues with his good friend red, sure, he does not speak much and only communicates with signs that he does not understand very well yet, red offered himself to teach him what each sign means but he politely rejects it saying that at the moment he does not need it, maybe another day he will learn about sign language.

Although Red also uses notes that he writes quite quickly for his understanding, writing does not bother Red and he does not bother reading them too, also Red always keeps his questions and conversations in a subtle state by not asking intimate questions while respecting the privacy of his roommate and friend and he is very grateful for that.

Hours pass, no one shows up at the store for some important reason. An occasional customer comes in buying wall paint, materials, new light bulbs or cables, cement, nails and tacks, brushes, buckets or a simple replacement for the pipe or asking 'you have change for a dollar?'.

At the moment, no one is approaching, bringing an electrical appliance with them, asking him to repair it. Dell Begins to get bored sitting in front of the entrance waiting for someone to enter, in the middle of his store waiting for something to happen, but nothing.

He starts to playing with his phone that he had bought a few days ago at a good price. These new technologies are always a puzzle to him, and sometimes it's fun and frustrating to figure out how they really work. Once the same Red offered to show him how the device worked but he refused again at the generous offer of his friend, it was fun to find out on his own how it worked, with all these functions of touch screens and voice functions, and being able to surf through the Internet without the need of a computer.

"What is this..." A multicolored rectangular screen came out of nowhere when he touched something he didn't know what it is. Dell reads what the rectangle says, "Congratulations, you are the millionth visitor to our page, with a single click and sending your phone number right now you could win a car. A car? That sounds fantastic." Dell was about to touch the commercial, but just then his same phone started to shake and play a kind jingle.

Dell is surprised when the melody starts playing, as he understood, that happens when someone is calling you. He touches the green phone icon over and over again but the melody continues to play.

(How is this answered?) Dell looks up at the ceiling trying to remember how it was that Red taught him how to answer a call and without realizing what he did, the music stopped and a voice was heard.

"Dell, my man. How is my comrade today?" Trent greats him through the other line.

"Huh Wha...? Oh. Hi trent. I'm glad you called. What do you need?"

"Listen Dell. I'm going to be very brief because I'm pretty busy here at the bar. You know, it's Friday and a lot of people come on the weekends. Heheh." He laugh to his own words.

"Yes, indeed." Dell laughs too.

"I'll get to the point. Will you by any chance have the freezer I gave you ready? I need it and soon. The alternative I have to keep the drink cold won't be long, you know."

"Yes I know. You told me that before and yes. Your freezer is ready and functional in the back. You can come for it whenever you want. Otherwise I will keep it for me."

"Ha, you would like more comrade, heheh. But, now I cannot go to look for it ... wait, I know. I will send you one of my best friends to look for it. So, could you prepare it for when he arrived at that place?."

"Ok. You just send him here, I'm going to prepare everything for when he arrived."

"Perfect. Well ... I have to leave you. See you tomorrow laddie."

"See you trent." Dell says goodbye to trent and was about to hang out the call ... only if he knew how to hang out on this thing.

"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! Dell wait." Trent speaks again.

"What's up, trent?"

"I forgot to tell you, when you come to the bar tomorrow could you bring a bag of ice with you? Thank you. Now, see you."

"But what ...? Trent waits ... trent ...? ... (sigh) I better do my part and prepare that freezer." Dell keeps his cell phone in his back pocket and heads to the back of his store to find that freezer.

● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■

"Now yes, see you." Trent hangs up the call, "How nice that I could tell him in time." trent mutters to himself and turns to the person who has just entered his bar.

"Hi jake. Good that you have arrived, just in time because I need you to do me a huge favor. Do you think you could go get my freezer from the store I was talking about the other day?" The man who just entered, slowly sat down in one of the high chairs opposite Trent.

"Really? I just got here and you're already kicking me out? Pff. Please trent, I'm very, very tired. I just finished with my work dealing with those good-for-nothing. I'm not in the mood to go out and do a stupid errand to you. I all I want now is a cold beer and some quiet. My head is killing me."

"Jake please. Do me this one favor, yes? Besides, if every time you ask me for something, I always help you. It would be more fair if you also do something for me and return the favor from time to time." Trent challenges him crossing his arms.

"That's different, now I just don't want to and I don't feel like it."

"Aw. I beg you, jake. Pleaaase. Do me this little favor, Just this one. And then you can ask me whatever you want."

"Hmm ... whatever I want?"

"Oh-uh." Trent regrets having said that last. The man named Jake shows a sadistic smile as he leans back in his chair.

"Well ... maybe yes I'll go get your stupid freezer after all, maybe yes, maybe not, who knows. This favor is going to cost you."

"Agh. just tell me what you want this time and stop doing drama." Trent insists impatiently.

"Tomorrow we will play poker, am I correct?" He asks with a not very friendly smile.

"Ah. Yes, I suppose."

"So. This is the deal, I'm going to get your freezer. If..."

"If...?"

"If Everything I win in tomorrow's game, you are going to duplicate it for me. Or better, triple it."

"You're crazy! No way!"

"Aw, it's a shame. Well, as you want. so, I imagine you can go get it by yourself and take over the bar at the same time. Hm?"

"... You are a son of a big ..."

"Bartender, could you please fill my jar."

"Bartender (hic-cup) here." Drunk customers in the seats were getting impatient not to have the jars filled with the intoxicating liquid.

"Tic toc runs the clock, my deal will not last much longer, my dear friend." Jake teases trent.

Trent clenches his teeth considering his options. Sighing with rage he points his finger at jake.  
"Fine, damn rat. But I'm just going to duplicate it for you. No more." Jake hands him an ok and gets up from his seat.

"Excellent. You see how easyis my naive friend?. You could cut through your drama and get to the point, since I would have gone anyway without that generous offer of yours."

"... shut up and get out of here."

"Understood." Jake was about to leave the bar but Trent stops him halfway.

"Jake wait, take this." He hands him a sum of money.

"How generous." He smiles.

"That's not for you, I need you to buy me a hammer with that money."

"As you ordered your highness." with a sign he dismiss to the door.

"And don't forget either of those things, you damn idiot!" Jake showed him the middle finger, and with a triumphant laugh he starts walking towards the place that Trent was fucking with for a long time.

He is not interested at least in meet a guy who is capable of repairing anything, ha, that sounds very stupid and impossible. Jake only care about is own business. He is not interested in meet or know about a little know-everything guy.

Jake begins to imagine and make fun of what the appearance of this man 'repair everything at your service' would be like.

("I bet my right hand that this maggot is a decrepit old man at the edge of his own grave, with his bald head and not having the slightest trace of hair on it, warts everywhere, his hoarse and lazy voice that hardly You could hear in a megaphone, possibly very short and short-legged that he walked very slowly from here to there and living in a depressing cave that was very dark and isolated that he only transformed it into a "workshop" "..." )

Jake starts laughing so hard at the mere thought that it crossed his mind. The people who pass by and saw him wondered internally why that man wearing that red jacket in a day like this was laughing so much.

Jake calms down slowly and tries to 'focus' on what he is tasked with buying first.

"Alright, the jerk asked me to buy a hammer and take out the fridge, mhe, not a big deal. I just have to buy a hammer and ask for the fridge. A hammer and the fridge, hammer, fridge." He kept repeating those two objects in his head over and over like a tape recorder.

In a few minutes, he was in front of the workshop, which had been described previously. Jake saw every detail of the place, it was not a depressing cave as he had imagined a few moments ago, it looked more like a candy store, which he would swear he had seen before and could compare the great similarity with this, than anything else. seeing the decoration and that little engineer stamped in the middle of the glass and who looks like a monkey from a children's cartoon and by the comical name of the place on that sign.

No need to waste any more time on these things, Jake enters the store. He looks around, doesn't see the decrepit old man who's supposed to be the owner of the place anywhere, but that's the least of it. His gaze is fixed on that bell on the counter and makes it ring several times in a very rude way, he waits looking around a little more for curiosity.

"I'm coming. Give me a second." A voice coming from the back let him know that the place was not abandoned, but surely he will have to wait a while for the old man to get up from his seat (if he was sitting) stretch his legs and move his butt skeletal to the counter.

Meanwhile, while waiting for him, Jake repeats in his head a few more times why he came to this place, as if he was going to forget something so simple.

("alright, buy a hammer and the fridge, buy the hammer and the fridge, buy the hammer and...").

A man, who Jake had never seen in his life, emerged from that same back door with a pleasant smile on his face welcoming the newcomer to his store. He was somewhat short, light brown hair and not very regular haircut (he had a cut almost the same as his and the only difference was just the hair color, his was dark brown) he wore glasses along with a blue jacket with the sleeves rolled up, and he seem something ... chubby?. This guy did not look anything like the decrepit old man he had imagined in his head, no, the man looks somewhat young and in good shape, well almost, possibly the same age or a few years younger than him.

but this guy is ... who is this guy? Jake had never seen him around here before. Could it be an outsider? When did he move here? Is he-

"Sir?." His thoughts were cut off when he noticed that he was rambling and being silly, "Is there something wrong, sir?" The man behind the counter asks something worried about the newcomer who was doing nothing but looking straight at him without saying absolutely nothing or making a simple grimace.

"Err ... No, I just came to ... (shit. What it was?)." Jake scratches his head trying to remember why he came to this place. The owner gave him time to think since he has nothing to do at the moment, in addition to waiting for trent's friend who was supposed to arrive at any moment.

"(... it was ... it was a ...) ah ... I REMEMBER!." He announces pointing at the ceiling in a somewhat silly voice, no matter if he had company, the owner of the place tried not to laugh at that so as not to make a bad first impression.

"I came to buy a hammer!." He says to the guy in front of him like it was an order.

"Very well, sir, as you say." The man went to a bookshelf and returns bringing with him different types of hammers of different sizes and shapes.

"What is the one you are going to take sir, I have these with these wooden handles, also with these mallets, these little ones are good too, and these precious ones are good for-" He showed him each one of those who were on the table and jake was getting confused.

"Ah ... err ... I'll take ... (fuck)." Jake hadn't been told what kind of hammer to buy, and seeing all of these confused him even more.

"I Will ... take this?" Jake took the one that looked more like a normal hammer to his sight, trent could complain elsewhere if he didn't choose the right one.

"Good choice." The man saves the others and gives him the one he chose, jake pays for the hammer and he was ready to go ... but his brain stops him repeating that maybe something is missing, the owner noticed that his client was something distracted but he didn't say anything about it.

"Something wrong mister?."

"No ... it's just that I have the strange feeling that I'm forgetting something. But I don't know very well what it is."

The store owner continues to smile "Okay, take your time. No problem."

"Hmm ... this ... nha, it probably wasn't anything important." The owner at the counter nods without removing the friendly smile from his face. Jake starts tossing the hammer into the air and catches it again with the same hand several times while thinking of other things without moving from his place.

"Em ... would you mind if I ask you a question?" Jake says suddenly.

"Of course, go ahead."

"I ... I've never seen you around here before, are you a foreigner or something like that?" The man giggles at that question.

"What's that question about?" He challenges him with a smile more than confident on him.

"... Just answer my question!."

"Hm ... ok. I come from Texas, so yes, I have a little foreigner around here, alright?."

"Are you from Texas?, huh ... funny."

"What?."

"You don't sound like a possible Texan, and I don't see you wearing the typical cowboy hat that is bigger than a garbage can that covers the entire head. And where are the soles on your shoes. I also don't see your horse parked outside your store, what kind of Texan are you, huh?" Jake says playfully and laughs at his own words out loud, but the man in front of him doesn't laugh, he just stands there silently looking at him with a expressionless face.

Jake thinks maybe he shouldn't have said that in the first place, but after a slightly awkward moment of silence. The man started laughing too loudly at that "joke." Jake joined in a second later, laughing a little awkwardly.

After a minute, the guy seemed to catch his breath after laughing like that.

"Yes. I know, I am asked that to myself very often too, but that has its own reasons."

"As which?."

"Well ... you know, things that happen for certain reasons and that you never expect to happen in the first place, you know, that kind of thing."

"Oh Ok, I get it ... I think."

"Heheh, yes ... to all of this, my name is dell, dell conagher. In case you want to know." The guy calling himself Dell stretches out his hand, hoping he'll shake it. After a few seconds of hesitation, Jake receives him and gives him a firm handshake and a nod.

"Nice to meet you, dell, the guy who doesn't have anything Texan or cowboy on him." Dell chuckles, the guy keeps saying silly things that for some reason make him laugh.

"the same here, by the way ... what are you going to do with that hammer?" Dell points to the hammer while maintaining subtlety in conversation with the man in front of him.

"The what?" Jake had completely forgotten that he had a hammer in his hands, apparently this conversation made him forget many things, such as who the hammer was for.

"Oh shit, I had completely forgotten. I have to run, or that damn idiot is not going to fulfill the part of the deal."

"Huh?"

"Thank you for everything, I am pleased to meet you and chat a little with you, see you later, bye." And as fast as he said goodbye, he went out through that same door and started running so fast that in a blink he disappeared from dell's view.

Dell stared at the exit for a while, then let out a sigh that he didn't know he was holding, but it was a strangely happy sigh. With a smile painted across his face, he removed his glasses and stared at them intently for no apparent reason as he thinks of the man who had just left.

Of all the conversations he has had so far, this last one was by far the strangest one and at the same time the most interesting of all. That man kept saying things that made him laugh a lot for strange reasons in the end, he was someone quite nice but to the normal eye he seemed someone very intimidating. But as they always say, never judge a book by its cover, and he knows that very well.

Too bad he didn't ask for his name or the guy didn't tell him what it was ... (Sigh) ... still. He seems to be a good person.

"Huh ... now that I think about it ... the guy who should be looking for trent's fridge hasn't arrived yet ... should I call trent and ask him what happened? Or should I send him a message?" Dell asks himself.

● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■ ● ■■ ● ■■ ● ■ ● ■ ●●●● ■■ ● ■

"I'm here!." Jake leaves the hammer on the bar.

"Damn it man, it was about time you came with my ... where is it?"

"where is What?"

"What I sent you to look for, where is it?"

"The hammer? Is it here, don't you see it?" Jake raises the hammer into view so that Trent can see it with his own eyes.

Trent places his palm in front of his face quite exasperated, a vein formed on his forehead trying to stay in control and not yell at his idiotic friend and cause a scandal in his own bar.

After taking a few breaths, "You forgot, didn't you?" Trent asks him half calm half annoyed.

"The what?"

"You should have brought MY FRIDGE from the place I just sent you to, in addition to the damn hammer."

"... oops, I think I forgot." He said so innocently, shrugging, and Trent held himself back so that his hand could barely contain the urge to smash a bottle over the head of the mindless jake at the time.

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask Red and he'll take care of the matter, thanks for nothing jake. The deal is canceled."

"Wait a damn second, don't you dare miss your word. That's not a man thing."

"Jake. In The Deal he clearly stated that you should have brought all the things I asked for, but apparently you are the one who does not comply with the rules, so that's the way things are, a real shame." Trent took his phone out of his pocket and quickly sent a message to Red asking if he could do him that favor, Red responded quickly with an icon of a thumb up. Jake, on the other hand, didn't sit idly by.

"I'm going to go get your fucking fridge right now. You wait here doing whatever you were doing." Jake jumped out of the bar and started running. Trent did not have the time to stop him and tell him that he already sent someone else for that.

Just then, trent received a poorly written message coming from dell. Dell asks him if something happened because no one has arrive yet to get his fridge. He replied that the guy who was in command of that was on his way, just wait for him.

20 minutes later.

"I'm here!." Jake returned carrying the fridge in his arms. Trent sees the man drop what he brought onto the bar and sit down on one of the benches, letting out a sigh. Trent saw the fridge, then to Jake, "Where's Red?"

"He didn't show up when I went to that store to get your fridge, but when I left that place he bump to me on my way and then handed me the bag of ice that is now inside the fridge." Trent checks inside and apparently there is the ice bag, even though it was starting to melt. Trent plugged the fridge into an electrical outlet.

"Tell me jake. by any chance, you wouldn't have taken the fridge from his hands and then pushed him out of your way back here when you ran into him, right?"

"(Gasp greatly exaggerated) Trent. How do you think? I would be unable to do such a thing." Jake said, making very exaggerated gestures of not having done such a thing, pretending to be innocent. Trent shot a look, arching an eyebrow.

"Whatever. Thank you for your 'kindness'."

"Yes, yes, now you better comply with the deal." Jake mentions stretching out his arms.

"As you want, after all, I am very, very sure that you are going to lose everything instead of gaining a miserable penny in tomorrow's game," Trent assures him, being very sure of his own words as he fills a mug of beer to the cap and gives it to his friend.

"Hee Hee Hee. That's what you think, amigo, we'll see who laughs when you swallow your own words in tomorrow's game." Jake mutters under his breath to himself as he drinks something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jake and dell' conversations looks a little forced to me.
> 
> What you think?


	12. Meeting with new people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dell is in his own way to meet with new people and possibly make some new friends in trent's bar in a quiet night. 
> 
> What will happen there, it depends on himself.

Dell was putting everything in its proper place before closing the store.

Today, Saturday, he had not as many customers as he had expected on a day like this, not that he is complaining or anything like that. It's just that it was a bit boring when you have nothing to do other than just attend the registered box for a short period of time.

Well, there is no problem that there were not many people. After all, a little break from the same thing is not bad from time to time.

Dell decided to close his store two hours earlier today because he had plans for this particular day. Besides, he had to hurry a bit if he didn't want to be late to get to the meeting with Trent's friends at his bar.

Trent was "nice" enough to call him like a few hours ago and remind him every detail of the meeting they will have at his bar, he also reminded him that he should arrive with a bag with ice in hand.

Once everything was ready and he had already closed his store, he prepared to go straight to Trent's bar, but not before making a short stop at the nearest store and buying a ice bag.

Along the way, dell began to think and imagine the attitude of trent's friends, what they would be like in addition to the possible results that could occur if he were to say something wrong to them feeling very confident about it or if he even say something offensive.

At first, the idea of joining other people, that he himself still did not know that good, to a meeting in which who knows what will happen. It sounded like a very bad idea, but trent kept insisting over and over again that he wanted him to join with his friends to hang out and that said people want to meet him too and that they weren't bad people at all. and in the end he ended giving up and here he is he now, on his way to his friend' bar where he will meet strangers whose attitude is unknown to him at the moment.

Dell stopped in front of the entrance of the bar once he reach the door, which seems to be closed and he knows that it is not, he knocks on the door and waits to be attended.

There are some voices coming from inside within some footsteps.

"Who?" Dell didn't have to be a genius to know that it was the same Trent who was on the other side of the door.

"It's me." He responds in a high tone making sure they hear him.

"I don't know anyone who calls himself 'me'. Who is it?" Trent asks again along with little laughs from him and some other people in the background.

Dell rolled his eyes at that thing he heard, and in a mocking tone, he decided to play along. "I'm the pizza guy, I'm bringing you the 100 pizzas you ordered sir."

"Damn lad, it's was about time, we're starving here. And Just because you were late I'm not going to give you tips." More laughter broke out in the background.

Dell shakes his head chuckling a little too, "It's me Trent, open the door now, unless you want the ice here melt and I brought with me for you." And with that last said, he hear how the lock is opened together with the door itself. Trent greets him with a grin from ear to ear, stepping aside leaving enough room for him to enter.

"It was time for you to arrive lad, come in, come in, I am dying to introduce you to my friends."

"Hopefully that last happens to you." Dell mentions it and Trent can't help but laugh about it.

In the background, next to the bar, a circle of people is located, Red is with them and it gave him a little more relief to see a familiar face between them other than Trent.

Those at the table, upon noticing his presence, turned around to see him and examine him. Dell felt a bit uncomfortable being the center of attention.

Each of the mans around the table has some very striking characteristic, at least as far as he can see.

"Guys, I want to introduce you the good Dell Conagher, you know, he's the genius I've been telling you about." Trent introduced him in a slightly humorous way.

"H-Hello, nice to meet you." he greets them shaking his hand from side to side being a little nervous.

Those at the table waved back, nodding, but there was one who ignored him.

One by one of the individuals at the table stood in front of him and Trent introduced them to him.

"This is Mike Mundy, he works and owns the city zoo, he is also a tourist guide for those who come on vacation from other countries and he is able to speak several languages, he is amazing. But yes, if you see him carries his famous machete 'Betsy' you better not make him angry."

"Nice to see you, mate." the guy named mike raises his own hat as a sign of kindness as he extends his hand to greet dell.

"Same here." In a quick glance, Dell notices every detail of this man in front of him. The man is wearing camo gear along with a safari hat and yellow sunglasses, even though the place was dark, it looks like the guy is on a jungle trip or something like that. In addition, it should be noted that he is too tall, he is so tall that surely he only have to extend his hand a few centimeters to touch the ceiling.

"Now, this is Nikolai but we call him niko for short. He works as an aide in the hospital in the city. Besides, he is from Russia and maybe his English is a bit broken but he is still understood."

"Hi, call niko, happy to meet little man." Nikolai, or rather niko, extends his hand waiting for dell to take it.

"A-ah ... h-hi." Dell couldn't help but be surprised. he couldn't help it, after all this guy was huge, he looked like a giant compared to him and with that hand that didn't help at all that was even bigger than his own head, and speaking of head, this "niko" has an enviable red hair and beard. besides that he could smell a slight smell of cheap perfume that tried to cover the hospital stench. Dell swallowed some saliva as he tried to hide as much as possible that he was scared at the moment, trying to avoid at all costs imagining what a man like him could do in a hospital.

"This is Red, you already know him so I don't need to spend so much time with him," Red made a hiss feeling somewhat offended by what Trent just said, "what? It's true, you already know each other." Red sits next to Niko with his arms crossed taking a small sip of his apple juice, which was kind of strange that he was drinking juice being in a bar and that the table also had some bottles with some drinks on top of it. Maybe Red is someone who doesn't drink alcohol.

"And finally this is my good friend and colleague..." but the person that Trent was introducing to dell, was not paying attention and had not stood up because he was very focused on the deck of cards on the table. Dell would swear he had seen that red jacket and black cap somewhere else but he doesn't quite remember.

"AHEM! Are you listening chump?" Trent tugs at the ear of this man to get his attention.

"Ah what?" The man get instantly on his feet in front of Trent.

"Agh, what someone can expect of you, anyway. Dell this is my good friend jak-"

"Ah, it's you!" Dell recognizes him in the moment he sees his face, although it was under a dimly lit he could recognize it, for some reason it was something he had not forgotten. He was the same guy who went to his store yesterday and bought him a hammer. "It's good to see you again." Dell extends his hand along with a small friendly smile on his face.

"Huh?" The guy makes a face, raising an eyebrow, showing that he does not know what is happening or cannot understand.

Dell notices what he just did and tries to clear himself, "Don't you remember? You went to my store yesterday and made fun of Texas." He mentions keeping the smile on his face, remembering that very moment when he laughed at the things this man was saying that day.

The guy scratches his chin trying to make some memory about what they just told him. Behind dell, Trent slaps his face with his hand.

"Oh yeah. I remember, you're the non-cowboy guy, this ... hell?"

"Dell"

"Dell! It's what I said, and yes, it's good to see you again." The guy returns the hand shake firmly along with a nod.

"You know hombre, I realized something, yesterday I gave you my name and you didn't give me yours, that's not very nice of you y'know."

"Really? Well then, the name is jake. Jake doe. And don't forget it." 'Jake' say in the form of an order that could not be taken very seriously because of the humorous half tone that he added at the end.

Dell giggled and nodded at that, "of course, Mr. Jake Doe, nice to get to know you a little better."

"Same here."

"Well ladies, I'm sorry to interrupt this nice meeting, but aren't we going to play once for all?" Mike cuts the roll and takes a big sip from the glass in front of him.

"Those are the words I want to heard." Jake sits down again and prepares to play.

"play?" Dell takes the seat between Red and Jake, "what are you gonna play?"

"What happens is that we are going to play poker," Trent responds, handing him a brimful jar with some alcohol in it and proceeds to take the deck of cards, "will you join us or will you cower?"

"Yes but ... we are gonna play for fun or-"

"Bha playing without some prices is a girl thing," Jake interrupts, "this is real poker son, it means we're going to bet."

"Are you going to bet?"

"Yes" everyone around the table answered him.

"But betting isn't illegal, or a bad thing?"

"Bad for losers." Jake joked and the others laughed too hard at that. Dell joined a few seconds later.

"Well? Are you joining or are you just going to watch?" Trent asks one more time as he shuffles the cards.

"Well ..." dell thought, a game of poker doesn't hurt anyone. It had been a long time since the last time he played poker with someone, in fact, in a serious way since they are going to bet. "Mhe, why not, it could be fun."

"Perfect, $100."

"$100?!."

"Any problem with that?"

"No, I mean... why $100? Isn't that a lot?"

"Don't be a spoilsport? Or what, you're not that guy smart enough that couldn't win a single game?" Mike challenges him.

"baby, you better not getting into man's game," niko chuckles, sipping a good vodka.

Red and Jake say nothing but they don't look away.

"Come on dell, don't wait that long, besides, losing $100 isn't a big deal, don't be an afraid children."

"ha! You wish." Dell takes his wallet out of his back pocket and takes out the said $100 and stamps it on the table, "I'd like to see all your faces when you guys are the losers tonight."

"This is how you suppose to speak!" Jake slaps him on the back at that.

"Well then, shall we begin gentlemen?" Trent distributes the proper cards to each one and thus begins the night of friends.

Everyone focuses on their hands thinking and playing in the most strategic ways possible.

But the night was not only going to be based only on a simple game of poker, since what would a friends night be like without a conversation?

"Tell me Niko, what was Ludwig's excuse this time for not coming tonight?" Trent asks Nikolai without taking his eyes off his hand. Dell looks up at that name he hear.

"Mhe, doctor say to be very busy all night too and not come, niko tell him to take a break and come to see friends, but doctor not listen to Niko and keep working."

"Heh, typical of Ludwig, always so hard-working and so involved in that office, right?."

"да"

"Wait ... are you talking about Ludwig, that Ludwig?" Dell asked both of them hoping they were referring to the person on his mind.

"Do you know doctor?" Niko ask him in a curious tone in his voice.

"Yes. Or at least I think so, if he is who I think he is. What is his appearance like?"

"Tall, dark hair and somewhat long and not combed, very strict with everyone."

"Yes, now I have no doubt about it, it's him. I haven't seen him in a long time. How is he doing?"

"Doctor is fine, work a lot and rest little, have to listen to Niko words more to rest more and work less, but he don't listening." Nikolai, frowning at the thought of the doctor, responds to dell.

"Yes, Ludwig was always like that." He chuckles when he remembers how stubborn Ludwig is.

"How is it that you know doctor, niko want to know." He asks curiously.

"Well, there is not much history between us, let's just say that we have known each other since school but for certain reasons I had to move and we stopped seeing each other but we kept in communication for a while until he did not call me back again for some reason. And that's all what I know about him, until now."

"Oh, niko understand," Nikolai nods smiling when he knows a little more about one of the friends the doctor had a long time ago, "doctor's friend is Niko's friend too," the giant lets him know along with a smile towards dell who in response nods back.

"Send him my regards when you see him."

"Niko promises to do it when he gets home."

"So you know 'Don Masks', heh, it's funny." Jake mentions under his breath.

"What thing?"

"Ah nothing, I was just thinking out loud."

The game of poker went on in a very interesting way to be honest, not to mention the conversations between those around him in time by time. some were very interesting, funny and others a bit exaggerated for the opinion of some. maybe it's because of the alcohol maybe? But at the end of each one of the anecdotes everyone laughed, even the same dell who from time to time was involved more and more in each conversation that took place and to his own surprise ended up fitting in very well among Trent's friends. The environment could not feel more comfortable.

And speaking of the game, one won, another lost, another's confidence went up to his head and he ended up losing more than necessary. So until everything was left in what seemed to be one last game that would decide who would take all the money home tonight.

Trent dealt the cards to his teammates at the table, inwardly he was praying careful attention to all Jake facial expressions to get a idea of what if he gets a bad or good hand. Somehow the idiot managed to win most of the games but for his own luck he lost everything when he felt very confident in the next play.

Jake began the round by taking the cards that correspond to him, and with a sour look at his hand, he began to ramble.

"What happen?" Mike responds a bit annoyed, being somewhat drunk at this time of night, because Jake was taking too long to make a simple move.

"I don't know guys I think I'm going to ... bet it all, what difference does it make. I don't lose anything after all."

"OH!" Everyone at the table was surprised by that. Trent gritted his teeth knowing something was up.

"Plus, I'm going to add another $50 to it." Jake placed all the money on the table with a somewhat pale look.

("Are you crazy?!") Trent fixed his "calm" gaze on Jake.

"So. little man wants to play for real, huh? Well, Niko joins the game and puts in $75 more."

("No...")

"You call that a bet tough guy? Take this! $100 more for you sheila!" Mike tosses a $100 bill on the pile.

("Please no more...!")

"Mhmp!" Red was not going to remain silent, he also bet everything he had accumulated along with $25 more.

("You too?!")

"Ah ... I think I'll go through this time guys." Trent tried to 'get away' from this ... but-

"Come on Trent, don't be a damn chicken now and retire just that the game got very interesting." Mike challenges him and mocked with a finger pointing at his face and doesn't help with that.

"Coward" niko doesn't help either.

Red laughed strangely under his hand, obviously making fun of his friend.

"Agh, fine." Trent give up, betting everything he have.

"Boooo..." the others booed him because he didn't add any additional money.

"And you dell? Do you cower or do you enter?" Mike says a little excited about whatever the boy is going to do.

"I ... this ..." dell thinks about what he can do, looking sideways at the expression that others have on their faces, it was more than obvious that they had a good hand at stake, he doesn't think they are going to bet that way just because. Before making his next move, dell looks at his cards carefully. ("Damn") dell tried to hide the greatest expression of surprise on his face as much as possible when he saw that he had four aces in his palm.

But he still thinks about whether he should bet it all or not. He doubts anyone has a better hand than his one. but the risk is also big. but he also could earn a good dough.

"Are you in or not?" Mike was getting impatient.

Without saying anything else, dell bets everything he has and adds another $50 bills on the table.

"Well said!"

"Baby don't be such a baby after all."

"Mhph!"

("OH MY GOD...!")

Trent saw Jake' face with the corner of his eye, and he wanted to kill himself when he saw how the man was smiling very maliciously at the pile of money in front of his eyes. and it was at that moment that he realized that they had fallen into his own game, trent checked his own cards and had no sets, his biggest card was a queen. he wanted to kill himself for having betting without thinking twice about it and fall like a complete fool.

Red showed his cards, he had a simple pair with him.

"ha! my cards are better and much stronger than yours." Niko shows his double pair.

"You would like more, here! Look at them and cry guys." Mike has straight formed in his hand and he was already celebrating ahead of time.

"Not so fast 'mate'." Dell brought out his poker in front of everyone and silenced everything they could have said, Red and Niko gasped and Mike hit the table with both hands yelling 'impossible'.

"And you jake?"

"Ah ... hell, I think I lost this guys." Jake tossed his cards on the table with the slightest interest.

"Wait, then I win? I win! Yeah! I didn't think it would get to ... jake ... jake but ... you have ... you have a royal flush!"

"Oh really? Wow, I didn't realize that." Jake feigned a shocked face at the rest but inside he was more than concerned about it.

"Son of a ... bitch! You did it again." Mike hit the table once more cursing Jake's name a few times and pouring his anger into his beer mug.

"Hm. Nice play." Niko says and in a big sip he finished what was left in his bottle of vodka.

Red just applauded being very excited for today's game, he wanted to have some apple juice but the box had no juice left.

Dell collapsed in his own chair and cursed himself for being a great fool, but still "well played jake, you really are good at this."

"Thanks, I know." Jake shot Trent a look as if to say he was waiting something from him.

Trent rises from his chair for a moment and started to walk towards the entrance.

"Where are you going?" Mike asks him.

"No. I just ... need to get some fresh air." He responds in a calm manner assuring that he was fine heading to the entrance.

Out of nowhere you can hear how Trent began to shout words that no one could understand, only Mike who said nothing about it or asked why.

"Well [" yawn "] it was fun and all girls, but I have to go now, I have to get up early tomorrow and make sure those damn kids don't ruin my walls." Mike gets up from his chair and says goodbye to everyone present and leaves, without first taking a bottle of beer with him on the way home.

"Niko is leaving too, if he doesn't go home soon doctor 'll be very angry and force Niko to sleep on little couch again." Niko also gets up from the table and leaves, but before leaving he turns to dell promising that he will talk to Ludwig about him once he sees him.

"If you'll excuse me guys, I need to go to the bathroom." Dell says and heads to the bathroom.

Trent returns and throws his head against the table causing the items on top of it to jump. Jake gives his friend a little pat on the back to calm his wailing a bit. Trent, realizing who was touching him, decides to remove that hand and sink deeper into the table.

"Leave me alone."

"Aw ... I'm just trying to help you here, my friend." Jake assures him with a fake smile on him.

"Just go away."

"Mhe, whatever you want, just don't forget our little ... agreement." Trent in response just shook his hand trying to say to get away from him. Jake shrugged, took what belongs to him and went out into the street.

There was a full moon in the sky along with some gray clouds that were moving away little by little. In the air you could feel that typical smell of wet ground that told you that it was raining a few moments ago. Maybe it was raining for a few minutes but that was the least of it.

Jake took a deep, satisfying, breath through his nose and let it out. He reached into one of the pockets of his jacket looking for some item there, a box of cigarettes. He takes one with the mouth and saves the rest. Taking a small lighter, he proceeds to light the cigarette between his lips and take a big puff.

"Ah ... nothing like a good cigarette after a well deserved victory."

Behind him he hears how the door of the entrance of the bar opens, the chubby and short guy came out through that same door and once he noticed that he was standing outside made him smile.

("Why was he smiling when he saw me? Does I have something on my face or something?")

The guy approached him, "Good game today, don't you think?" Dell opens the conversation in a friendly manner.

"Ah ... yes! Yes it was." Jake answers, he doesn't know why he hesitated a bit before answering.

"I was surprised by the way you won that last round, you really know how to play poker pal."

"Heh, it wasn't the big deal."

"Well, I had a great time with you guys after all."

"I'm glad." Jake says half sarcastic half cheerful.

"Yeah... Hey jake can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You know what happened to trent in there? and why he's very down? I'd even swear I saw him crying."

Jake couldn't help but chuckling at what he hear. "Yeah, what happens is that trent is a bit sensitive when he plays." he says jokingly.

"Really? So much so?"

"I swear. The other time we played snakes and ladders and just when he was going to win, he fell right into three snakes in a row and started crying like a sore baby loser. It was very pathetic." Jake laughed at that memory in his head and Dell covers his mouth to keep from laughing so hard.

Jake thought he had enough fun for one night, so he started walking home in silence. He realized very late that he was not walking alone, he had company. Dell was walking beside him in silence and apparently he also just realized that he was walking next to the other.

"Ah?"

"What."

"Nothing."

"Okay."

A small awkward silence arose between them, nobody knew what to say or what they could do.

"So ... where are you going now?" Dell tries to start a friendly conversation, he can't help but feel like what he just said sounds very nosy.

"To my house." Jake responds too direct that he even sounds in such a way that it seems that he does not want to speak, but that wasn't his intention.

"Oh. Me too ... I was about to wait for Red and see if he wanted to join me on the way back. But he said to me that he prefers to stay there and keep Trent some company so I decided to go alone." Jake just nodded and didn't say anything else. The walk becomes a little more uncomfortable for each step they take. Jake spotted a small grocery store up ahead.

"Are you ... hungry? If you'd like I can buy something for both of us." Jake offers without realize that he just open his mouth.

"Ah? Would you do that? I mean, no thanks I don't have-" Dell tries to be as kind as possible by trying to decline that generous offer that came out of nowhere ... if it weren't for his stomach roaring like he hadn't eaten anything in weeks. leaving the two silent and speechless.

"... wow. That was your stomach or do you have a wild beast hidden with you." Dell took a bit offended at that comment and tapped the other person lightly on the shoulder. "Aw. That hurt my delicate feelings."

"Says the person who said what he just said." Jake teased dell a little more, and dell doesn't take it with humor, he turns around and continues to cross his arms.

"Aw ... come on, don't be like that cupcake, it was just a joke."

"Don't call me cupcake."

"Fine, dario."

"Dell."

"Dell, that's what I said. You want me to buy you something or not?" Dell mumbles something but Jake couldn't understand whatever he said.

"Ah? What did you say?"

"I said... nmhnhm."

"What."

"I SAID! I will like a ... a chocolate bar." The words 'chocolate bar' was heard so slowly that it was barely understood by Jake, it was like a hiss. It was as if dell had been very uncomfortable saying that he wanted a simple chocolate.

"Do you want chocolate?" Dell nods without even seeing at him. Jake nodded as well and rushed forward to get to the store earlier. Dell catches up with and waits behind him to buy what he has to buy.

"Take it." He had bought two, one for himself and one for dell, but before handing it over, he sets it aside again.

"Huh? what now?"

"Aren't you supposed to say something when someone gives you something or does you a favor? Where you learn manners?"

Dell frowned for not receiving his chocolate, "and you think, after what you said to me before, you think I should or at least say 'thank you' to you-" Jake quickly hands him his chocolate the second he heard that "magical word".

"You're welcome." He says innocently and takes a bite of his own chocolate.

Dell throws a quiet tantrum and proceeds to eat his chocolate as well.

"You are unbearable, you know that."

"Thanks, you compliment me."

They both suddenly turned towards both of them and stared with hatred for a few seconds. Then the strangest thing happened in this situation. 

Both laugh.

(but without seeing each other's faces) and continued walking.  
The rest of the way nobody said anything to the other, it was hard to tell if one was angry with the other or if he was calm.

"Hey jake."

"Hm?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"And why should I tell about me? Especially to you." Jake ask.

"Well ... I told you about me when we met, remember? I think it would be fair if you returned the favor too."

"Hmm ... sounds fair." Jake rubs his chin to think from where it would be appropriate to start telling about himself, "Well, first of all, I borm in this city and live here until now. I lived most of my life here and I have many very interesting fond memories. "

"You sound like you are someone extremely interesting."

"It's that sarcasm?"

"Maybe" both chuckle. 

"I have very good stories with me, if you want I can tell you the time when I and some friends demolished together a building full with useless scrap."

"Ah ... I think it's not a good idea for you to tell that."

"Huh? Why not? It's very interesting and very funny."

"It's just ... that story I already know." Dell feels a weird chill when he remembers that.

"Oh. I see." Jake had a face of being a little disappointed to hear that they had taken away the opportunity to tell his best story.

Dell obviously notices that last gesture on Jake's face and thought about what to say quickly to improve this situation "Hey, but what if you tell me something else, hm? Why don't you tell me what you do during the day, about your work for example."

"Err... fine." Dell smiles a little as he sees that Jake got rid of that slightly sad look on his face and showed a little joy again. "Every day I follow to the letter a strict routine without failing a single one, and if for those things I forgot to do one, i made up for it the next day. During the first seconds in which the day begins, I have to do a light jog for 20 minutes, at the end of that I go back to my house, prepare breakfast and get ready to get to my work. I work in a small high school where the younger ones go to learn things. Then I go to a gym at Which one I attend almost every day, and finally I go to my friend Trent's bar. You know Trent right? He and I are friends, we've known each other for a long time. " Jake, when talking about himself, shows a nice spark of pride in every word that comes out of his mouth.

Dell listens carefully without interrupting for a single moment, it was very interesting to know more about this man with a mysterious and intimidating character but who is still a normal and ordinary person like any other. "Do you work in a high school? Are you a teacher? don't be offended but you don't have the appearance of being a teacher."

"Hell no! Heheh no. Well... yeah, I work in a high school, and no. I'm not that kind of 'teacher' no. First dead before carrying a 50-kilo encyclopedia all day under my arm. I'm actually a coach, and a very good one that I know almost every kind of sports you can imagine. I train whole teams of useless good-for-nothing and make them less useless than they already are, I've been working on that for several years." Dell can't help but hold back a little laugh upon hearing that.

"Are you that good?"

"I am! Many of the teams that I train come out as true champions after being under my command for a few days. But the typical crying girls never stop complaining. because according to them I am very strict and that I make them move too much. You know what do I say to these cases?"

Dell made a gesture as if to say that he wanted to hear what he does when one of those cases occurs.

"I have a little saying with me. 'Either you do what I say or you leave' many of my students withdraw from my program just for not following the regime. but from day 1 I let them know that if they want to be the best, they have to prove it. otherwise for me they will always be garbage unless they prove otherwise." Jake gives a nod to himself showing that he was very proud of his own regime.

"Don't you think you're a bit harsh with your students?"

"Discipline amigo, is the key to being heard. If I go soft on them and let them do whatever they want at any time, they won't take everything I tell to them seriously and take advantage of that. No sir. I'm not going to allow that. If they want to be the best then I'm going to mold them as many times as i can until they are what they really want to be. And also there's the fact that they must have to listen to me or else they will be lying and they are only there to annoy me."

"Well ... how do I say this without sounding offensive ... it's not that I'm against you or your way of doing things, none of that pal, but I think you're taking your job very seriously. But Since you haven't been fired yet after several years, I imagine you're doing a good job."

Jake, arms crossed, stops in front of dell. "What do you mean by that, huh?"

"Me? Nothing. I'm just expressed my opinion of the facts. I apologize if I ever offend you sir." Jake leaned closer to him, scowling even more trying to get some reaction out of him.

"Fine, I'll let you pass this time. But if I find out you're saying something behind my back, hm? You'll see." Jake made a threatening gesture with his hands, but dell didn't take it too seriously since he did it as a possible joke.

"Whatever you say, captain." They continue walking as if nothing happened. "Hey jake."

"Hm?"

"Those teams that you say you train. Are they ... sent or play in important games?"

"They do, but only the ones who manage to show that they are worth putting them on a serious game. You should go see one of the games so I can show you that my work is worth it."

Dell couldn't help but chuckling. The idea of watching one of those games sounds lovely even if he's not a big fan of the sport. "I would love that."

The two new friends continued to laugh some more, and before they knew it. They had arrived at dell's house, or rather in front of the building where he lives.

"Well. This is my house, or rather, the building where I live." Dell lets him know, scratching the back of his head.

"Well let me tell you that you picked a good place." Jake mentions looking up at the building.

"I would invite you to stop by for a glass of water but ... it's getting late and I imagine you must have better things to do."

"You're right, it's a real shame because I would have liked to see what the inside of your house is like."

"Heheh, another day will be then. By the way, jake,"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to... eat that chocolate or ..."

"The what?" Jake had completely forgotten that he was still carrying a chocolate bar in his hand and that he apparently forgot to eat as he had only taken a single bite. "Ah. It's just that I ... I'm not a big fan of sweets ... here. You can have it if you want." Jake extends his hand towards dell, waiting for the guy to take it.

"Are you sure? I mean, won't you want it? It's yours after all."

"It's mine, and I decide what I want to do with it, and that's why I decide to give it to you." He insists.

"Well ... as you want." He takes the chocolate in his hands, "Thank you. You are ... very kind." Dell smirked at Jake and this kind gesture from him.

Without realizing it, Jake smiled too. "Well, now it's time to go. It was ... nice talking to you."

"Same here."

"See you another day."

"Goodbye."

Jake waves with his hand and begins to walk away. Dell stands at the entrance of the building for a while longer, his gaze fixed on the path Jake had taken. After a while his gaze is exchanged towards the chocolate in his hands, seeing it he cannot help but smile again.

"That jake," he mutters to himself, "is definitely someone very kind and interesting." With no more to do, go upstairs and enter the building. He wonders internally if Jake is this or is this another.

.


	13. a normal day in jake's life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How jake holds himself every day.

Another day, another penny. It is what some would say.

It was very early in the morning and many people would consider these hours to keep sleeping a little more.

But jake doe is not like those people.

No sir!

Jake Doe wakes up early in the morning, long before even the alarm of the clock even turn on, and gets ready to start with another day, even though he knew it was Sunday and he didn't have to work today and he could just rest all afternoon. But he's not going to do that in any way. He always says "you have to take advantage of every second of your life and do something productive."

He dons his best black running shoes, sweatpants and a white top that shows off his body in the best possible way and buried his head inside his lucky black and white cap that was his favorite. Jake grabbed his portable radio and old still working headphones, put on his custom tape with the uplifting energetic music he loves. He stretched his muscles a little before leaving his house, and he goes down that hall. jake Play a bit with the short stairs near the entrance, going down and up the few stairs that are there one by one.

Jake paused at the exit, he gazed out at the clear clear dawn with no cloud up there and let out an big sign.

A bark brought Jake's attention from the sky to the ground. right in front of the entrance, his faithful companion was waiting for him 'bites' a small breed dog that he had found and took some affection and that has also been feeding him all this time. The dog was small but had a strong jaw and teeth that are capable of breaking and piercing anything, that's why the name 'bites'.

"Hey little buddy," Jake strokes the dog head and he allows it to be petted without any problem, "how are you doing today?" The dog gave a few barks that can be interpreted as saying that all is fine, "ready for another day of hard training?" Hearing that, Bites stood on all four legs in front of Jake and gave a little jump, wagging his tail around vigorously, showing that he was ready to go. "That's more like it."

Jake started his little routine, starting with a simple jog around the city, following the path he always takes.

He walked past the closed school, circled the empty baseball field. He smiles as more of his canine friends join him in his morning routine. Those dogs from the streets are not going to be left behind in following that kind person who from time to time plays with them and who also gives them food from time to time.

Jake walked past the building where the retired people live. He could see how his old friend Gladiz was awake by now and taking a little walk with some friends of her. Jake couldn't help but smile a little, pausing for a moment and greeting them.

"Buenos dias Gladiz!" Jake yells, waving his hand to make his presence known.

"Buenos dias mijo." Gladiz returns the greeting.

Without further ado, Jake continues on his way. He was very grateful to Gladiz as she herself was the one who had patiently taught him Spanish in the first place.

He wanted to learn Spanish in the first place because many of his students were kids who spoke Spanish and at first he did not understand them very well and they started some problems. His boss has tell him that he could gain some respect if he knows more language to variety. 

He had asked his friend Trent's wife, Samantha, to teach him Spanish at first because he knows that she can speak it very well. She rejected Jake since she did not have teaching skills and did not have the patience to have Jake around at her house every day. But jake was very annoying her because he kept insisting her to teach him. So she was the one who introduced him to some acquaintances who could teach him to speak Spanish if he was willing to learn so much in the first place, and thanks to that he got to meet Gladiz who was a great lady, very kind and understandable when she means to listen to others.

Over time and thanks to the help of gladiz, jake learned Spanish and had taken some liking for a word that became his favorite, "amigo" the accent that is given to that same word is something that caught him instantly the first time he heard it and took a certain sympathy for the word that he never tires of saying.

Right in front of him he caught an eye on the city park "grasslands". A large and wide space, square and green. where most people go to spend their afternoons or being closer to nature and have a break from the buildings for a few hours. Here a lot of hippies usually gather to meditate or sing their hippie songs about their free love and love of nature, teachers who give yoga classes or even small groups of teenagers who want to hang out under a tree to discuss the current things after leaving school.

As it was very early, the park was not very crowded. Only the occasional public cleaner cleaning up the garbage from the ground from the previous day, a vendor who was setting up his stall, the occasional person sleeping on a bench. The typical thing that one could find in a park in the early morning.

Once Jake reached the center of the park, where the fountain was located, he decided to stop for a bit to allow his canine companions to take a little break. The dogs that followed him, which were 6 or 7, sat next to the good person they were following all this time.

Jake takes advantage of this stop by the fountain to spray some water on his head and wash his face, letting the water slightly wet the upper edges of his white T-shirt, first making sure he is not wearing the headphones and that he has put them away. so that these are not ruined by the water.

He stared at the crystal clear water of the fountain for a moment. There were a couple of coins at the bottom. He can guess that those coins are from those children who believe in magic and the stories that their parents tell them about the existence of the "fountains of wishes" and so on.

The little bites raised a leg so that Jake would notice that he also wanted some water too, he was very small and could not drink from the fountain on his own. Jake pleases the little bites by giving him some water which he collects in his own hands. The other dogs also drank some water from the fountain, since they could drink directly from it.

Jake smiled at the dogs.

In that, his phone in his back pocket began to vibrate announcing that they had sent him a message.

The message was sent by trent and said the following:

"I have your fucking money, you can pick it up whenever you want.

PS: don't come to my bar today, because if I see your damn face closer, even in front of the bar, I swear I'm going to smash a bottle on that stupid head of yours."

Jake chuckled and tucked his phone back into his back pocket. He turned to the dogs and gave them a signal that it was time to move again. Seeing this, the dogs got into position and ready to move on.

Jake was about to leave and continue running ... "hey coach!" if wasn't for the incoming problem that appeared in front of him, a noisy problem. Jake tried to go unnoticed by the person in front of him pretending that he haven't seen him yet but unfortunately the boy was getting closer to his position.

"Hey Coach!" The boy calls him back at a higher volume this time to make sure the other person heard him.

"Crap..." Jake grumble under his breath covering his face. Jeremy was approaching with that stupid confident face on him that he always have on him, he is very conceited young man who always goes around dressed as a supposed baseball star when in reality he is the opposite and who unfortunately is one of his students, and with his mere presence he caused discomfort and some anger to anyone who was nearby. Jeremy joined his team a couple of months ago and it was a complete torture to have him as a student, if it was appropriate to call him a student in the first place if all the boy did was fail and goof around on each one of the exercises that he demanded and he only do just to show off and end up making a fool of himself even more and making him look bad.

Jeremy doesn't have much arm strength to do certain things, even the simplest, his only ability is to run a lot and that's the only thing he's good at. Jake repeats that he has to work his arms more but he always ignores him. Jeremy's biggest problem is not that he is a fool, but rather that he does not work as a team in sports where teamwork is essential to win. But apparently the word "team" does not exist in Jeremy's dictionary since every time he plays, he always tries to be the "superstar" of the game, ending in a loss for the team he is with. Others who know him very well always try to prevent him from playing on their teams at all costs. the only reason jake still has him on his program is because of pure and sheer pity, that and his mother.

"Hey Coach, it's good to see you. What have you been doing these days? Surely Thinking about the proposal I made you the other day? What are you planning to do in class tomorrow? because I have some great moves prepared for sure and they're going to impress you when I show them to you tomorrow. Check this one! I've been practicing it all weekend." Jeremy took a ball that Jake didn't know where he got it from.

But before he could do something ridiculous, Jake caught the ball in midair with one hand and pointed directly at the boy. "Boy." Jeremy stands firm at Jake's serious tone, "First, there will be no classes tomorrow because they will be spraying the place. Second-" But before Jake could continue with his points, he was interrupted.

"Oh. Then I'll see you on Tuesday and-"

"boy!" This time he was the one who interrupted him, "Tuesday the school will be closed for a holiday. AND before you say anything else! Let me give you a little advice. Pay more attention and talk less. So you would have known there would be no classes." Jake tossed the ball at the boy and turned to go elsewhere. Honestly, he doesn't want to waste his time with him anymore and the simplest way for that to happen is to just ignore him.

Too bad Jeremy is someone too persistent to let him just go away like that without hearing what he has to say, "Hey coach! Don't go yet. I have something very important to tell you and I know you will like the idea." Jake rolled his eyes, covering his face with one hand, knowing very well what he was going to suggest once more, he tried to ignore the noisy boy as much as he could, which was an impossible task.

"You know what is not fair?. Why don't you consider being my personal trainer? So when I become a famous millionaire superstar you too can have a guaranteed fortune in the palm of your hand, you could also buy a much better house than that hovel you have as home right now. Eh? What do you say? It's a good idea isn't it? Say it's a very good idea, I know you're too smart to..."Jeremy keep going and going. Chattering about his "assured future as superstar" until he couldn't.

Jake wanted to hit his head so hard than can knock himself down so he didn't have to listen to so much stupidity that it makes his head ache.

"Fine! FINE! You've convinced me boy."

"... Seriously?" Jeremy said surprised that his coach accepted his proposal.

Jake sighed in relief when Jeremy finally shut his mouth for once "of course boy, how could I be so blind, what you said made me realize what a superstar you'll became and I'm dying to be a part of it."

"You see! I told you that sooner or later you would realize my potential and my abilities."

"Of course... Well. Why don't you show me what you're capable of? Huh? Starting with three full laps around the entire park? And without pause."

"Only Three laps? That's nothing! I can even do five in a blink, you wait here to be surprised." Without further ado, Jeremy ran away, ready to take those three complete laps around the park and maybe five.

When the boy was no longer in sight, Jake took the opportunity to get away with it and leave that place as soon as possible before that kid returns, not in a thousand lives does he plan to waste his time with that good for nothing foolish kid.

When Jeremy returned to the starting point, he could not see his coach anywhere.

Jake returned home along with his canine friends who were keeping him company all this time. Jake made sure to stop by the pet store to buy a bag of dog treats because he had remembered that he had run out of the one he had in the house.

Jake puts the bag on the ground "Wait here, I'll be back soon." He ordered them and the dogs obey, sitting very patiently in front of the entrance of the house. A few seconds later, Jake appears carrying a couple of bowls with different colors and sizes. He has kept a couple of dog bowls just because he likes to feed them, because he feels really bad when he thought on all those poor doggies who are abandoned by their families who let them die in the streets,   
plus who can say no to those cute faces. He places some of what is in the bag in each one of the bowls and gives them to the dogs who eat it with joy and enthusiasm. Jake, sitting on the ground, watches how the dogs eat their food and can't help but gain an proud smile on him while he thinks about his things, remembers some anecdote and imagines some others.

After the dogs empty the bowls, Jake keeps them indoors along with the bag with dog food for another day. He says goodbye to his little friends and goes back to the house.

Jake turns on the television and skip through the channels until he finds one that it has something worth to watch. He Find a not so bad movie and apparently looks like today there is nothing better to see, better than nothing, is what he thinks and leaves it there. He goes to the kitchen and takes a bag with some chips that he still has left and leans back on the couch to eat and watch some TV.

Jake wasn't paying special attention to the particular movie, no, he was rather deep in his own thought. He was trying to figure out the best thing to do now that he can't go to his friend's bar to hang out a little if he wants a bottle on his head in return.

And he was so deep in his thoughts that he had simply fallen asleep in the same couch.

He was dreaming that he is lying on a very small and green mountain with a tree in the middle that serves as a shade to cover himself from the rays of the sun that is in the blurred sky. Jake doesn't know why he sometimes dreams with this place or at least what it is supposed to mean, if it represents something of course. However, the more he wanders about it, the less he is interested in delving deeper into the meaning of this same dream, because it is boring and annoying. But still being here is very calm and relaxing, although he know very well that it is just only a simple dream.

"I wonder if #### would like to be here for a change. I wonder what #### is doing-"

[BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!]

"Wha-!" Jake fell off the couch startled by the sound of his phone's alarm that was set to ring at exactly that moment. He took his phone from the place where he had left it before, checked the time and it was 6:12 PM.

"Hell! it's getting late. I have to hurry up and get ready." He gets up from the floor and goes to his room, while there he picks up a gray sports bag, which was on the wardrobe, places a change of clothes inside with a clean towel and goes to the entrance without making a quick stop by the bathroom before going outside.

After a 5 minute walk, Jake finally made it to the 24/7 gold fitness public gym that he attends at the same time as always.

"Hi Jake, it's good to see you." There was Kyle, an ordinary worker that Jake always bumps into every time he comes to this place. On his shift, Kyle was cleaning the vomit from the floor that surely belongs to someone who has overreached himself a bit after having eaten a supreme hot dog.

"Hi kyle. Anything interesting or new?"

"Nha. The usual. Nothing new unfortunately."

"I see. Well, i left you with what you're holding."

"If you need me you know where to find me." Jake nods and leaves the poor kyle to do his work.

Jake went into the locker room to change his clothes and put on something more appropriate for the situation, he was wearing a gray tank top and red shorts next to his cap. He grabbed a pair of lightweight dumbbells to start with as a little warm-up.

Once the warm-up was over, Jake decided to take a bar and place two discs on each side to add more weight to the bar. While he was working on lifting weight, he couldn't help but feeling discomfort in the back as it turns out that he was attracting the attention of two pairs of eyes that kept looking at him and whispering something behind him. And it is not that it has anything to do with the fact that today he have decided to wear super tight pants along with an equally tight tank top.

Jake has a good sense of hearing and thanks to that he could know what they were whispering in to his back and at that same moment he lost the appetite to continue lifting weight and goes to the treadmills that was in the opposite corner where he was now. by the way, he take out from his pocket the portable radio and headphones and put on his tape with personalized tunes that he likes to distract himself as much as possible.

While jake was jogging at a brisk pace on the treadmill. Two other people, in this case womens, showed some interest in him and approached him from behind.

The two women tried to get Jake's attention but he ignores them completely the first time. The girls thought that the man just hadn't heard them since he was wearing headphones, so they did the most logical thing that came to their minds at the time. Shake his shoulders slightly.

Jake, rolling his eyes, stops on the treadmill and turns to those who are bothering him.

The girls, babbling incoherently, were asking him for a photo. Jake didn't even bother asking what the photo was for but decided to give it to them anyway so this weird moment would be as short as possible. After taking about five photos with different angles, they asked him if he could give them his phone number so that they could call him later with the excuse of send him the photos. 

To which he replies with an no, obviously lying.

Then they proceed to ask him for the address of his house to go visit him another day. And he answers them as "kindly" as possible with another no and goes to the showers. He is simply not in the mood to give his address, or even his number, to any stranger he meets or to even share a word.

But the two girls were not satisfied with the answer the man gave them and decided to follow him, taking his arm and struggling a little so that he would pay some attention to them. Jake doesn't like having to be rude with women, but these two strangers kept bothering him and this situation is becoming more ridiculous.

He gave a 'no' to both with more authority this time and turned his back right to them.

But one of them seems to have been offended and what she did next was not nice at all. She took the cord of the headphones that were hanging from Jake and threw them to the ground with everything and the portable radio that did not withstand the impact causing some pieces to fly here and there.

Jake was slow to react to the sudden attack, and by the time he realized what had happened, the two girls who were pestering him all the time were already running towards the exit making fun of him.

Jake groaned in pure rage under his breath and bent down to put together the parts of what was still considered a radio and a pair of headphones that perhaps by a pure miracle still worked, luckily his custom tape survived the fall but could not be say the same about the rest.

He took a small empty bag of sweets from inside his sports bag and placed the pieces and remnants of the radio inside so he can threw it away when leaving the locker room.

It was a shame. With these they were already the third headphones that he bought this week but the trouble now is that he will also have to buy another portable radio that at the same time serves as an old tape player and that will cost a lot of time and money that he would not like to waste.

If only there was a way to have a new one in a short time and that also did not cost so much or that at least he knew of the existence of someone who could repair it without problems so that he would not have to waste so much of his valuable time.

"..." Jake stopped in place.

In his head is drawing the blurred image of someone who might be able to help him in this situation but he does not remember quite well but he has him in mind, and according to the annoying Trent' could repair anything.

"This ... his name started with ... D I guess? No. I remember!"

Suddenly the image was clear for him. a short and somewhat not so chubby man, who wears a pair of glasses, a blue shirt and has light brown hair with a short cut almost similar to his own and who has a rather nice appearance. With that same man remember that it is very easy to talk and that he is also someone very funny and that he also laughs at the nonsense he says and that for some reason he has not forgotten at all as has sometimes happened.

"!" Jake remembers his name finally. His name was Dell c ... his other wasn't important. The important is that yes, yes he knows of someone who can get him out of his situation.

Jake thinks about giving that Dell a little visit and find out if he was as good as they say ... but maybe it would be better to do it another day since now it was too late and it was also Sunday and he probably did not open his store that day today, unless he was one of those crazy people who have their stores open 24/7.

Once Jake is back at his house. Leave the bag with the broken radio on a table in the kitchen so that in the morning he will remember to take it to dell in that workshop that doesn't look like a workshop at all.

Jake took a small sandwich from the fridge. He turn off all the lights in the house. He went to his room and lay on the bed with the phone in hand, checking to see if one of his friends had sent him any other messages while he was away.

Zero messages from his friends or another person, he sighed, putting his phone aside and staring at the ceiling for a while, focusing on a small spot in that place.

Jake can't stop thinking. He can't stop thinking about how it must feel to have someone to share the good times with. Someone who is always there to talk about the things that happened to both and tell silly jokes as the hours go by. Having a close friend to worry about sometimes and have this friend worry about you equally. Sure, he has Trent who is his best friend and partner. But those times are over years ago. Trent now has more important things to worry about now, he has his wife, he has his daughter and his full time job. Yes, his friendship with him is still valid. but it is not like before when the two of them, or even with the others, and how they could have fun all the time.

He misses those old days.

Jake wonders how it would feel to have someone like that.

"..." Jake sighed and laughed softly at himself, for thinking and imagining things like someone so pathetic.

Settling in the middle of his bed, he finally decided to get some sleep.

tomorrow will be another day, he said to himself. 

.


End file.
